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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 



Chap.„.„„ Copyright No.. 
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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 



Lessons from the Desk 



CONTAINING FIVE SERIES OF LESSONS 
ON THE BIBLE SUITABLE FOR NORMAL 
CLASSES OR SUPPLEMENTAL LESSONS, 
WITH ILLUSTRATIVE DIAGRAMS ^ ^ 



BY / 

HAROLD KENNEDY 




PHILADELPHIA 

AMERICAN BAPTIST PUBLICATION SOCIETY 
1900 

L 



TWO COPIES RECEIVED, 

LJbrary oT CongV!%9% 
Qfn^Q of th% 

M?.R2i 1900 

Register of Copyrights^ 






60050 



Copyright 1900 by the 
American Baptist Publication Society 



SECOND COPY, 



jprom tbe Society '« own press 



PREFACE 



When Delsarte put into words his great law, Strength 
at the center^'reedom at the circmnferencey he per- 
formed an inestimable service to those who want to know 
how to become masters of their own powers. It furnishes 
the hint that changes timid incertitude and self-conscious- 
ness into forceful mastery. 

Applied directly to teachers, two things are essential to 
efficiency, conviction of truth and precise information. In 
proportion as these are strong in the center (heart and 
brain) of the teacher will be his freedom in the use of all 
his faculties in imparting knowledge. When our convic- 
tions become strong our utterance becomes free. A 
mother pleads for her child with unstudied but impressive 
eloquence born of the strength of her passionate love. 
The Bible teacher who is on fire with love for Christ and 
for souls will find facility of expression unknown to one 
whose heart is cold. This, of course, is the first requisite. 
But that other essential of inward strength — precise infor- 
mation — is only second in importance. Multitudes of 
zealous, warm-hearted teachers are weak and faltering in 
their utterance because their ideas are hazy. Not sure of 
facts, or confused about their arrangement, embarrassment 
becomes painful. 

The Normal method of analysis and presentation of 
truth is the cure for this weakness. Terse, unequivocal 
statements, drilled into the mind by constant repetition 
and impressed by simple arrangement on the blackboard, 

3 



4 PREFACE 

carry with them strong sense of mastery. Thus teachers 
should be taught in normal classes and trained to teach 
others. It is a mortifying fact that multitudes of teachers 
have only a nebulous notion of the simple facts about the 
Bible. Any pastor or superintendent who will see to it 
that the elementary courses of lessons contained in this 
little book are taught to his teachers until they can stand 
examination will see immediate increase in their teaching 
power. 

The same applies to the scholars. Many subjects can- 
not be taught to the best advantage by the conversational 
method necessarily employed in the usual Bible-school 
class. Ten minutes of each session spent in a crisp black- 
board drill of the school from the platform will fix those 
elementary facts which are essential to a clear understand- 
ing of God' s word. 

The several series of lessons given in this book are suita- 
ble either for normal class work or for supplemental les- 
sons before the school. They will be found to cover the 
simple facts of and about the Bible that every scholar — 
need we say teacher ? — ought to have at tongue' s end be- 
cause firmly and clearly fixed in the mind. They repre- 
sent many years of practical experience in this sort of work 
by a pastor who has always felt that it was his place to see 
that his Bible school should know the Bible. They have 
thus met the test of practical use, some of them also hav- 
ing already had wide circulation in the "Baptist Teacher" 
and "Baptist Superintendent." 



CONTENTS 



I. The Contents of the Bible 7 

Fifteen Lessons on the Books of the Bible and their 
Contents. 

II. The Gift of the Bible 39 

Ten Lessons on the Authority and History of the 
Canon. 

III. The Message of the Bible 61 

Five Lessons on the Cardinal Doctrines of Redemp- 
tion. 

IV. The Lands of the Bible 71 

Ten Lessons on the Historical Geography. 

V. The Lands of the Bible 99 

Ten Lessons on a Palestine Pilgrimage. 

VI. The People of the Bible 133 

Ten Lessons in Semitic History. 



CONTENTS OF THE BIBLE 



It is intended in this series to give a bird' s-eye view of 
the Book, avoiding details for fear of confusing the mind. 
Utmost simplicity of outline has been sought, that the les- 
sons may be used, if desired, as supplemental ones to be 
taught from the platform in the regular sessions of the 
school. For such an exercise ten minutes should be taken 
each week, and only so much ground covered as the 
teacher can drill well in that time, the outline remaining 
on the board to be continued on the following week. By 
this method any superintendent may give his school a good 
idea of Bible history and a thorough knowledge of the 
names, order, and character of its books in the course of a 
season. 

For those who desire to follow the subject more minutely 
in regular normal classes, there is enough analytical outline 
to enable the teacher to enlarge and add detail. 



LESSON I.— THE BOOK 




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Show Bible. Five questions about this book. Raise 
right hand and count on fingers : What f Why ? How f 
When ? Where ? 

I. What is it ? The word of God. Whatever else we 
find about it we must never forget that it is God' s word 
(message) to us. Every other book is the word of man. 
This stands alone. Impress reverence and faith toward it. 
It is also called by the ancient name the Holy Scriptures 
(sacred writings), calling our attention to its safe preserva- 
tion on parchments ; or the modern name, the Bible 
(book), reminding us of the collection of these writings 
into one complete whole. It is rightly called the Bible, 
because no other book can be compared with it. Some- 
times it is called the sacred Canon (rule or measure), be- 
cause it was given to be the rule of our lives. Drill on 
four names with their meanings. 

9 



lO LESSONS FROM THE DESK 

2. Why should we study it? 2 Tim. 3 : i6 answers. 
{a) Because it is of God and ought not to be slighted even 
if we gained nothing from it ; {b) because it is all from 
God and no part should be overlooked, though all parts are 
not of equal importance ; (c) because it is profitable for 
doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteous- 
ness. The object is stated that we should be * ' perfect, 
thoroughly furnished unto all good works." If we do not 
study God' s word we shall fail of this end. 

3. How did we get it? 2 Peter i : 21 answers : ** Holy 
men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.'' 
Thus, though its source was divine, it was put into language 
of men so that those who heard could understand it. Dif- 
ferent parts were written in Hebrew, the language of the 
Jews, Chaldee, the language of Babylon, and Greek, the 
language used for writing throughout the Roman Empire in 
New Testament times. From these writings translations 
have been made at various times into every language. As 
we are not sure who wrote some of the books we cannot 
say just how many of these "holy men" were required to 
give us the message, but there were about forty authors 
(more or less) who wrote sixty-six books, which together 
make up our Bible. 

4. When was it produced ? Through at least sixteen 
centuries, from 1500 b. c, when Moses lived, to A. d. 100, 
when the last of the apostles died. The translation into 
English commonly used by us was made by order of King 
fames, in 1611, and, because after so long a time the re- 
sults of better scholarship and more modern language might 
be had, a Revised version was made in 1884 by learned 
men. It shall endure to eternity. The world can never 
outgrow the Bible. 

5. Where was it written ? In the country extending from 
Rome on the west, to Babylon on the east, and from Asia 



CONTENTS OF THE BIBLE 



II 



Minor on the north, to Arabia on the south. The most of 
it was written in Canaan (Palestine), the land of God's 
people. 

Drill : Four names, three reasons, two agents, three 
languages, forty authors, sixty-six books, sixteen centuries, 
two translations, five places. 



LESSON II.— THE PARTS OF THE BOOK 




We now open the book itself and find it divided into two 
parts by the coming of Christ (show Bible open between 
Old and New Testaments, and draw vertical line). All 
that goes before this event prepares the way, and what fol- 
lows tells the story and explains the meaning of the cross 
(add cross-bar and light ray's while impressing this fact). 
The first part is called the Old Testament (or covenant) 
and contains thirty-nine books ; the second is called the 
New Testament with twenty-seven books ; making sixty- 
six books in all. 



12 LESSONS FROM THE DESK 

Each of these parts is like a shelf in a bookcase con- 
taining several sets of books on different subjects. (May 
illustrate by arranging on table several sets of books in con- 
trasted bindings.) As God's truth is many-sided and in- 
tended to reach all sorts of people in many ages, he has 
expressed and illustrated it in many ways. The Old Testa- 
ment contains yfz/^ sets of books. We will mark them on 
the board and check them on our fingers. Hands up ! 
First comes the Law — that is the thumb, the strong finger 
that holds by its firm pressure. In this set we have the 
story of how God gave his law to man. Then comes His- 
tory — that is the index finger, pointing the way of God's 
providence in the story of his people. This set takes up 
the story where the law books left off and carries it to the 
end of Old Testament times. Then we have some Poetry 
— that is the long middle finger that reaches farthest from 
self and toward heaven, because in poetry we find expres- 
sion for our deepest thoughts of God. This set includes 
some great religious poems of the Jews as well as their 
psalter or hymn-book. Then come the Prophets, or 
teachers ; the fourth finger we will call the major (or 
greater) prophets. This is the ring finger, where we place 
our love tokens, for these books give us many of the surest 
pledges of God' s mighty and everlasting faithfulness to us 
(e. g,, Isa. 54 : lo). The little finger we will call the minor 
(or lesser) prophets, because these have given us some 
shorter and less prominent messages. Now drill names on 
fingers until fixed in memory. 

There are five books of law, twelve books of history, 
five books of poetry, yfz/^ books of major prophets, twelve 
books of minor prophets. Drill: 5-1 2-5-5-1 2, rapidly, 
faster, until the numbers are fixed ; then drill with names 
joined until thoroughly learned. 

The New Testament has but three sets of books. (Turn 



CONTENTS OF THE BIBLE 



13 



down index and ring fingers.) First comes History, the 
story of the gospel. This is the thumb, because it is so 
strong. What was the thumb in Old Testament? Con- 
trast these. The story is told in five books. Then, as ex- 
plaining this history, we have a pile of letters, or Epistles^ 
from some of the apostles. There are twenty-one of these, 
so we will use the long middle finger to represent them. 
Then comes Prophecy, looking ahead to glories yet to 
come. There is but 07ie book in this set for the little fin- 
ger — though last not least in importance. Drill : 5-21- 
I as above. Drill on whole board. 

All these books, so widely differing in authorship, sub- 
ject, and date, written for the most part without reference 
to each other, form one logical, progressive, harmonious 
whole, with the cross as its center. 



LESSON III.— THE BOOKS OF THE LAW 




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The five books of law, known as the Penta-teuch (from 
two Greek words, meaning * * five books ' ' ), were given us 
by Moses, "the lawgiver," who lived about 1500 B. C. 
Whether he wrote all parts himself, or used some material 



14 LESSONS FROM THE DF^K 

already known, gathering it and giving it authority, is not 
important. God chose Moses as lawgiver, and Christ joins 
his name * to the law as given. These books, like other 
parts of the Old Testament, may have been somewhat re- 
arranged and separated from outside matter, under divine 
guidance, when the canon was being gathered after the 
exile, as some think, without lessening the authorship or 
authority, even as the writings of any author might be edited 
long after his time. 

Genesis, the book of beginnings (**In the beginning," 
ver. I), tells us of the beginning of the world, and all the 
discoveries of science only confirm the story as told here; 
the beginning of man, whom God made in his own image 
to grow into mature and perfect character; the beginning of 
sin, which came to hinder the success of this high purpose ; 
the beginning of promise, for no sooner had sin come to 
spoil the plan than God came with the promise of a Saviour 
who should bring final success. 

Exodus, the book of goijig out, tells how God provided 
deliverance from bondage. It tells how Israel went out of 
bondage in Egypt under the great deliverer, Moses, and 
how God taught them at Sinai in order that they might go 
out of the bondage of ignorance and of si7i, 

Leviticus, the book of laws, gives a careful description 
of the laws of sacrifice, by which the people were to order 
their w^orship, and learn the true principles of deliverance 
from sin to be fulfilled at last in the promised Saviour ; 
the laws of the priests, who should minister in the taber- 
nacle ; and the laws of purity, both of body and of soul. 

Numbers, so called because it records the numbering of 
the people, is the book of the people. It arranges them in 
their tribes, recounts their offerings for the tabernacle, 
and tells of their wanderings in the wilderness because 
they had wandered from God. 



CONTENTS OF THE BIBLE 



15 



Deiitero7iomy, as the name implies, is the book of laws 
repeated by Moses before his death, an account of the 
death of Moses being added by some other hand. 

Review, noting the progress in God' s plan — beginnings, 
outgoings from bondage, helpful laws to escape defilement 
and get rid of sin, the people' s struggles and God' s patient 
leading, the story ending in the triumphant death. 

Drill on names, characters, and contents of the books. 



LESSON IV.— THE LAW (Continued) 




The story of the period covered in the first five books of 
the Bible forms a large and important part of the history of 
the world. It extends from the creation to the giving of 
the law. It is impossible to divide this period by centuries 
since we cannot even guess how long a time was con- 
sumed by those early events which came before the time of 
Abraham (2300 B. c. ). We must measure it rather by events. 
An arch built of the nine men whose lives represent to us 
these events will aid memory. 

First after the creation we have Adam, in whose time 



1 6 LESSONS FROM THE DESK 

came the great tragedy of history, Xh^ fall of 7nan, This is 
the story of the coming of sin and death into the world. 
Cain, the murderer, follows to remind us of the reign of sin, 
which spread among men. Enoch, with \\\s godly life, makes 
a ray of light in the darkness (Gen. 5 : 24 ; Heb. 11 15), 
showing that there were still some who walked with God. 
With Noah we associate Xh.^ flood of destruction by which 
God cleansed the world, but which was soon followed by 
the wickedness of the world again. These four belong to 
the first great period of God' s dealing with man — the per- 
iod of the race before God separated for himself a peculiar 
people. 

After the dispersion of man we enter a new period, that 
of the family. God called Abraham, and after him his 
family, to be separate from the race. Abraham' s journey 
of faith, when at God' s call he set out for the Promised 
Land, not knowing whither he went, that he might dwell 
apart, and his trial of faith when called to offer up his son, 
form the keystone in the arch. Without such faith in 
God human life must fall like a ruined arch. Isaac, the 
child of promise, and Jacob, with his vision of God, follow 
in this life of faith. Joseph, by God's favor made Egyptian 
Tiller, brings the family to dwell in Egypt. The Egyptian 
bondage follows. All this is told in Genesis. 

In Egypt the family grew into twelve tribes, though 
being slaves they had yet no national life. With Moses the 
nation begins. Divinely raised up for the purpose, he led 
the people of Isarel into deliverance from Egypt, thence 
into the wilderness of Sinai, where God made them a 
nation. There he gave them the tabernacle at which to 
worship him. This brings us to the giving of the law, with 
which great event the Pentateuch closes. 

Drill : Two historical boundaries, three periods, nine 
men, events connected with each. 



CONTENTS OF THE BIBLE 1/ 

LESSON v.— THE BOOKS OF HISTORY . 



12 B0OH6 OF Hf6T0Ry 

^^'^c^r^^>(? I (Conquest of Canaan 

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The twelve books of history continue the story of the 
nation. After the death of Moses Joshua led the people 
into the promised land. The first three books of this set, 
Joshua, Judges, Ruth, tell the story of the conquest. We 
notice four facts : 

1. The conquest of Canaan. The land was full of strong 
nations, some of them giants, but God promised victory. 
It took much hard fighting, but when the people obeyed 
God and did their best he gave victory, as he will to us. 

2. The division of land among the tribes of Israel, each 
tribe receiving from Joshua its own portion of land to dwell 
in. 

3. The rule of judges, which continued about three hun- 
dred years. God was their only king, but he was repre- 
sented by these judges whom he raised up in times of need. 
During this time the national life was of the simplest kind 
and there was little unity between the tribes. 

4. The heathen neighbors were a constant trouble to 
Israel, both by making war on them, and by leading them 
to sin against God. Israel had been commanded to destroy 

B 



1 8 LESSONS FROM THE DESK 

utterly these heathen, but they had been cowardly and had 
failed to do so. The book of Judges tells many stories of 
these times and Ruth gives us a picture of the home life. 

Drill : Three books, one topic, four facts. 

The next six books are really three of two volumes each. 
I and 2 Samuel, i and 2 Ki7tgs, i a7id 2 Chronicles 
tell the story of the crown. God' s people wanted to be 
like other nations and have a king. The history of this 
crown covers aboutyfz/^ hundred years. At first the whole 
nation was more or less united under three successive kings. 
Saul, the first, was little more than a military leader ; he 
kept no kingly court. David established the kingdom 
under God's favor. He cemented the union between the 
two parts, Judah the southern, and Israel the northern 
sections. He established his capital at Jerusalem. He 
conquered the nations from Egypt to the Euphrates and 
made a great empire. Solomon brought the kingdom to its 
utmost splendor by his wisdom and commerce. 

The crown was divided by the rebellion of Israel against 
Solomon's son. Henceforth there were two kingdoms, 
Judah and Israel. Judah had in all twenty kings, and 
Israel nineteen. It is a sad story of sin and strife. 

Drill : Six books, one topic, three crowns, number of 
kings under each. 

LESSON VI.— THE BOOKS OF HISTORY (Continued) 

The six books which tell of the crown also tell of the 
captivity into which the miserable choice of a human and 
a broken crown brought both kingdoms. 

The northern kingdom, Israel, had hastened more 
rapidly and farther from God than had Judah. In about 
two hundred and fifty years God allowed the Assyrians, a 
great nation which had long been threatening, to wipe out 



CONTENTS OF THE BIBLE 1 9 



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the kingdom and carry the people into captivity from which 
they never returned as a nation. Their captivity w^s for- 
ever. The southern kingdom, Judah, never completely 
forsook God, though often sinning grievously against him. 
It lasted about three hundred and severity -five years, when 
God allowed the Chaldeaiis, who had conquered the Assyr- 
ian conquerors of Israel, to destroy Jerusalem and carry the 
Jews to Babylon, For the sake of his promise God limited 
Judah' s captivity to seventy years, during which time the 
people learned from their punishment to return to God. 

There remain three more books of history, EzrUy Nehe- 
miah, Esther, which tell of the colony which returned to 
Jerusalem from Babylon, and that which remained in vol- 
untary exile. We notice five persons and five events : 

1. Cyrus, the king of Persia, raised up by God (Isa. 44 : 
28-45 * 6)> conquered the Chaldeans, and gave permis- 
sion for the Jews' return to Jerusalem, Thus God uses 
even the heathen to perform his will, and changes empires 
to accomplish his purposes. 

2. Zerubbabely the prince, of the royal line of David, 
led the first company of returning exiles. He was a good 
and faithful leader. Under him, after great difficulties, 



20 LESSONS FROM THE DESK 

was accomplished the rebuilding of the teinple. Though 
a prince he was not allowed by the Persians to become 
king, but only governor of Jerusalem. After the captivity 
the Jews never had a king who was independent, as they 
were always a dependency of some other nation. 

3. EzrUy the scribe^ led another company of returning 
exiles, but gave his life to the study and the teaching of 
the law. From that time to this the study of the law has 
kept the Jews faithful to their God. 

4. Nehemiah, the governor, left high office in Persia 
to accomplish the rebuilding of the city. Rejoined Ezra 
in Jerusalem, built the city walls, and ruled the people 
faithfully. 

5. Esther, the queen, a Jewish maiden, became queen 
of Persia and saved her people from a great peril. In 
her story we gain a picture of the colo7iy in Persia, for 
many of the Jews, though now free, never returned to Jeru- 
salem. 

Drill : Three books, five persons, five events. 

The period covered by these twelve books falls into three 
parts : (i) The Theocracy (or reign of God) : Joshua, 
Judges, Ruth ; (2) The Kingdom : Samuel, Kings, Chroni- 
cles ; and (3) The Restoration : Ezra, Nehe7niah Esther, 

Drill on whole board. 

LESSON VII.— THE BOOKS OF POETRY 

TYiEfve books of poetry form the most devotional part of 
the Bible. Poetry speaks to the heart and lingers in the 
mind as no other form of speech. Some thoughts can be 
expressed only in this way. This is true of our highest 
thoughts of God. The Hebrews, like all Orientals, were a 
poetic people. 

Job, perhaps the oldest book in the Bible, is a noble 



CONTENTS OF THE BIBLE 21 




BOOKS OF POETRY 



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poem about the tested saint. The hero of the story is a 
saint in whom God had such confidence that he allowed 
Satan to test him with great afflictions, but through them 
all Job stood the test and pleased God. 

The book of Psalms is a collection of the so7igs of Zion, 
used in the temple service. Many were written by David, 
though other poets after him added many more, some being 
evidently wTitten after the return from captivity. 

The book of Proverbs contains words of wisdojn by Solo- 
mon and others. These wise sayings expressed in poetic 
form are maxims for right living, such as the people could 
not easily forget, but would love to quote and learn to 
follow. 

The book of Ecclesiastes tells of worldly experiefice, 
probably King Solomon' s own experience when he was not 
living so close to God as his father had done. The writer 
had tried everything * ' under the sun ' ' — failing to look 
higher — and found that all was * * vanity and vexation of 
spirit." 

The Song of Solomon (sometimes called *' Canticles," 
which means song) is the story of love. It is a dainty little 
drama about a village maiden who was true to her rustic 



22 LESSONS FROM THE DESK 

lover, resisting firmly the wooing even of the king. It 
teaches that true "love is strong as death." 

Beautiful as these poems are, their value is that each 
teaches some great fact about God, Job tells of God faith- 
ful. Though he could not understand his strange trial, nor 
tell why trouble came, he refused to lose confidence in God. 
"Though he slay me yet will I trust in him," is his cry. 
This clinging in the dark to the faithful God is the strength 
of every child of God in trouble. 

The Psalms have never been equaled in devotional poetry, 
because they show God present. He is made so real and 
present to us that we find help in him. This was the 
marked characteristic of David's life {e, g,, Ps. 23). 

Proverbs presents God warning against sin. Eternal 
wisdom is speaking as a father speaks to a child who is in 
danger, " avoid it, pass by it." 

Ecclesiastes shows God judging. The story of the worldly 
experience closes with 11:9 and 12 : 13, 14 (read). 

The Song of Solomon points to God loving. It is the 
conception of the highest love ; though it is but a faint 
picture to us who are familiar with the way John tells the 
story (John 3 : 16). 

Drill : Five books, five subjects, five views of God. 



LESSON VIII.— THE MAJOR PROPHETS 

The five books of major prophets are among the most 
important of the Scriptures. This follows from their office. 
A prophet is one who speaks forth for another. A prophet 
of God is one who receives his message from God and is 
sent to tell it to the people — a preacher. Sometimes 
prophets were commissioned to foretell events, but their 
usual mission was simply to carry God' s messages. There 



CONTENTS OF THE BIBLE 23 



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were many prophets, like Elijah and Elisha, who wrote 
nothing, because their words concerned only those to whom 
they spoke. Of those who wrote their messages for preser- 
vation four are known as major (or greater) prophets, from 
whom we have five books. 

Isaiah is called the gospel prophet, because of all Old 
Testament writers he tells most nearly the gospel story. 
He begins with God's lament over sin and tells God's 
promise of a Saviour. Very tenderly he pleads with 
the people to return to God and draws vivid pictures of the 
promised redemption. He lived in Jerusalem about one 
hundred and fifty years before the captivity, as prophet, 
statesman, and counselor of the kings of Judah. 

Jeremiah is called the weeping prophet. He had enough 
to make a true man weep, for he prophesied in Jerusalem 
before and during the beginning of the captivity. He saw 
how rashly the people were rushing to ruin and he had 
God' s word for the sure approach of the destruction of the 
city. But the people would not listen to him. He was 
persecuted and imprisoned, but bravely stuck to his mes- 
sage. He was not taken to Babylon, but remained in Judea 
to try to influence the people to heed God' s word. 



24 



LESSONS FROM THE DESK 



Lamentations is a little poem by Jeremiah, mourning over 
the ruin of the holy city. It was written 2X Jerusalem, dur- 
ing the beginning of the captivity, 

Ezekiel is called the prophet of visions, from his manner 
of receiving and telling his message. He says, " As I was 
among the captives by the river of Chebar . . . the heavens 
opened and I saw visions of God" (ver. i). He wrote 
in Chaldea, early in the captivity, dind^. had great influence 
among the captives. His visions tell of God's gracious 
purposes in the restoration of his people from their exile. 

Daniel is called the beloved prophet (10:11). He prophe- 
sied in Chaldea and Persia throughout the captivity. A 
Jewish boy of noble birth, he was carried among the cap- 
tives to Babylon, where he rose to the highest position of 
honor and power under both the Chaldean and Persian 
kings. The story of his loyalty to God, his useful life, and 
his wonderful visions, is given in the book bearing 
his name. 

Drill : Five books, four prophets, name, character, 
place, and time of each. 



LESSON IX.— THE MINOR PROPHETS 



4-00 Yrs 

WARNING RESTORATION 




\ 4. ISRAEL 

/ROPH.H05EA, 

AM05 

(Herd'Warnt) i 



8.JUDAH D.R£cr 



INDIRCa 



Value 



DOt JOEL , 

(DayoflonfJ 



SR 



OBADIAH 

(A^. Sdom) 



CONTENTS OF THE BIBLE 2$ 

The twelve ini7ior (or lesser) prophets are men whom God 
sent at different times to his people in the two kingdoms 
of Israel and Judah, during a period of four hundred 
years, extending from the warning to Israel before her de- 
struction to the restoration of Judah after her exile in 
Babylon. These are by no means the only prophets who 
spoke during this period, but the Holy Spirit has preserved 
these for us either for the sake of the direct value of their 
message as declaring eternal truths (e, g., Hosea's tender 
portrayal of the heavenly Father's love and patience, or 
Jonah' s early illustration of the wideness of God' s mercy 
toward the Gentiles), or their indirect value as throwing 
light on the conditions of the times when they spoke. 

Four of these prophesied to Israel and eight to Judah. 
From their vivid messages or striking personalities these 
tw^elve men may easily become fixed in our memory. As 
arranged in our Bible the first eight alternate between Is- 
rael and Judah. 

Hosea prophesied in Israel while Isaiah was at the height 
of his ministry in Jerusalem. It was the most brilliant 
period of the history of the northern kingdom, though her 
doom was approaching. Hosea was unhappy in his own 
home, and out of his own bitter experience with faithless 
wife and undutiful child he told of God' s unfaithful family 
and urged the people to return to him. Read of the heart- 
broken Father in chap. ii. 

Joel prophesied to Judah. As his writing is not dated 
we cannot be sure when he wrote. From some things he 
says it seems probable that he lived long after Hosea and 
prophesied to the Jews in Chaldea during the exile. He 
warns of the day of the Lord. A terrible scourge of locusts 
devouring every green thing furnished the imagery. 

Amos was a herdsman of Tekoa, in Judea, but God sent 
him to Israel to give the herdsman' s warning of God' s in- 



26 



LESSONS FROM THE DESK 



tent to punish the nation. His boldness got him into trou- 
ble. Read his adventure (7 : 10-15). He spoke a little 
earlier than Hosea. 

Obadiah is the shortest book in the Old Testament, being 
only a few sentences spoken against Edo7n, Judah's old 
enemy. There is nothing to indicate his date, and so after 
these two Judean prophets we shall place an "/" tore- 
mind us that they are the two prophets whose time of writ- 
ing is unknown. 

; Hosea and Amos are to be remembered together, for not 
only did they speak to the same people at about the same 
time, but they were both sent to denounce the idolatry of 
Israel. Each spoke in his own way, Hosea pleading and 
Amos sternly denouncing. 

Drill : Two kingdoms, four hundred years, two pur- 
poses of preservation, four prophets and themes, two con- 
necting links. Drill often on names. 



LESSON X.— THE MINOR PROPHETS (Continued) 




WARNING 

4 I5RAEL 

H05EA I 

(OodliUnf Fom |OQL 

A/^OS Ur. 

( Herds WarnS)i 

JONAH 



RESTORATION 

8 JUDAH DIRBCT y^njr 

fDa\/oFlord) t 

OBADIAH \ 

(Aq Edom) 

A 

OMING 

/\PTIVITy 

J 



M/CAH 

(RepentJ jVI I i| (Sms oUud) 

mHUM]\ HABAKKUK 

(Jud^tj • » (PFoPH.FRAYeR) 

2EPHAN/AH 

(Jadgt ofJerusJ 

RE6TN . HACGAI'lECHAR/AH'MALACm 

f/^ebofTemp) (fuf-ure(ffor/es) (Cofntn^^<>ST/M 



CONTENTS OF THE BIBLE 2^ 

Review first four minor prophets. 

Jonah prophesied in Israel about the same time as Amos 
(2 Kings 14 : 25). The Assyrians were threatening the na- 
tion* s life and God sent his prophet to the Assyrian capital, 
Nineveh, with a warning. He tells of the repejitance of 
Nineveh, It is a wonderful lesson of God' s wide mercy to 
the Gentiles contrasted with man' s unwillingness to be gra- 
cious. 

Micah spoke in Judah in the time of Isaiah. He utters 
a lament over the sins of Judah^ and gives promise of a 
Saviour. Read a prophecy (5 : 2), and a plea (6 : 1-5). 

Returning to Israel we hear Nahum, long after Jonah, 
foretelling ih^ judgment of Nineveh, whose repentance had 
been short-lived. His language is very spirited. So these 
two, Jonah and Nahum, are to be remembered together as 
prophesying about Nineveh. 

In Judea Habakkuk tells of the rise of the Chaldeans, 
and foretells their victories. This shows us that he wrote 
some time in the generation which saw the exile (i : 5-1 1). 
He writes in a highly poetic strain of his conception of 
God's majesty. It may be called \hQ prop he f s prayer. 

Drill on these four names. (There is a certain rhythm 
in the twelve names when grouped in fours and repeated 
rapidly which will aid in fixing them in mind.) 

In Judea before the exile, Zephaniah announces the 
judgment of Jerusalem for her sins, but closes with a gra- 
cious foregleam of salvation. So we may connect these 
three Judean prophets, Micah, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah, 
who sought to prepare Jerusalem for the sure punishment 
of her sins under the coming captivity which they foretold. 

The three remaining prophets spoke in Jerusalem after 
the exiles had returned from Babylon, and are to be asso- 
ciated as the prophets of the restoration, Haggai was an 
old man when he returned with Zerubbabel to the ruined 



28 LESSONS FROM THE DESK 

city. After long opposition had delayed the work, he lifted 
up his voice urging the rebuilding of the temple. By his 
encouragement the work was pushed to a finish. 

Zechariah, a younger companion of Haggai, prophesied 
at the same time, encouraging the disheartened people by 
portraying the future glories which should follow the resto- 
ration. 

The last to give his message was Malachi, who wrote 
during the time of Nehemiah, probably during his absence 
in Persia. The writer speaks with assurance of a corning 
Messiah, thus linking the Old Testament with the New. 

Drill on twelve names and topics till fixed in memory. 

Name the four prophets of Israel, the eight of Judah. 
Which two spoke of the idolatry of Israel ? Which two 
against Nineveh ? Three of the coming captivity ? Three 
of the restoration ? 

LESSON XL— THE BOOKS OF NEW TESTAMENT 
HISTORY 



^ewTest 



H5-E21-P1. 

HISTORY 



\JOHN M I 
ACr60FTH£APOSr. V/ 



K Of- o 

^ OF Ck 

S OR AA 

3 OF Q 

H OF C 



The New Testament, we remember, contains yf-z/^ books 
of history, twenty-one Epistles, one book of prophecy. All 



CONTENTS OF THE BIBLE 29 

these find their significance in the wonderful story told in 
the history. 

These Jive books of New Testament history are known as 
\}iiefour Gospels, and the book of the Acts of the Apostles, 
Gospel means ** glad tidings." The gladdest tidings ever 
told are of the coming of the Saviour. These four Gospels 
do not furnish a biography of Jesus, nor are they incomplete 
accounts by four men of what each chanced to remember of 
Jesus' acts and words. They are four different views of his 
mission, that we may better understand it. So four essays 
might be written about George Washington : ''Washington 
the Soldier, " " The President, " " The Statesman, " " The 
Gentleman. ' ' In this way we gain a complete view of his 
character. For this purpose each writer selects the events 
needed to present his subject, and uses them in logical 
rather than chronological order. It is as impossible to 
make a true or satisfactory journal of Jesus' life from a 
"harmony ' ' of these as it would be in the above-mentioned 
case of Washington. Each should be read and studied by 
itself with its purpose in view. 

Matthew tells of Jesus, the king of the Jews (2 : 2). 
Note the royal genealogy from David, the homage of kings, 
proclamation by herald, the platform of the new kingdom 
(Sermon on Mount), parables of the kingdom, etc. The 
long-expected King comes, proves his right, is rejected, 
crucified (all " that it might be fulfilled"), rises in majesty, 
and begins wider reign. ''All power is given unto me in 
heaven and in earth, go ye therefore and teach all nations. ' ' 

Mark tells of Jesus, the servant of God. It is the Gospel 
of service and sacrifice. No account of genealogy or birth 
is given, since these are not important in the record of a 
servant The key- word is "immediately," or "straight- 
way.** Its thought is consecration. 

Luke tells of Jesus, the Saviour of inan (i : 47 ; 2 : 



30 LESSONS FROM THE DESK 

II, 30). It is the Gospel of humanity and redemption. 
Genealogy from Adam, family relations, parables of hu- 
manity and redemption, redemptive aspect of his death not 
for Israel alone, but for all mankind (24 : 21, 46, 47). 

John tells of Jesus, the Son of God, It is the Gospel of 
divinity ("the Word was God"). The author states his 
object in 20 : 31. It was written late, when the divinity of 
Jesus began to be questioned by Gnostics.^ It is a master- 
ful and logical argument from beginning to end. 

Luke adds a "fifth Gospel," the Acts of the Apostles, in 
which he tells of Jesus, the Head of his church. This book 
tells how after his ascension Jesus continued (i : i) his work 
on earth through his church. It presents him as actually 
present directing the work. 

Drill : Five books, four authors, five topics about one 
Person. 

LESSON XII.— NEW TESTAMENT HISTORY 
(Continued) 



A.T. Hist. 5: a».m.l.j.a. 

^ . ( Cf*/ttsT Amomtco 'JgsusSAnoun-/MMAf*uei. 'Oct WITH Us 

*|»^lw r ""^ yiiKAiuiAnoft-6o5pa.e^KfJitaoMWoifics»fMgK(r'WiHOS9fiorf 

ROVVN — R£^URR£CrtON^AsC£N6tON-f:£t6// 

lIllD^LJ \ y>~ ^ /-(cnHUhafJeraufen 

^U IVV n ^p ^MtSitCM; £MDu£M£tfT,'(oMqu£S7\muoti A CenMes. 6.AH6.R 



t 



1 The Gnostics were a sect that arose early in the history of the church, and 
among other erroneous opinions, denied the reality of Christ's person. His 
body to them was only an appearance. See any standard church history or 
encyclopedia. 



CONTENTS OF THE BIBLE 31 

New Testament history, five books, Matthew, Mark, 
Luke, John, Acts, tell the story of God' s great plan of sal- 
vation from the point where the Old Testament leaves it. 

1. They tell the story of the Christ, which is a Greek 
word, meaning the A7iointed One, like the Hebrew word 
Messiah. He is also called Jesus, which means Saviour 
(Matt I : 2i). The name "Jesus," looks to his work, as 
*' Christ" refers to his office. A third name of great im- 
portance explains his person, Immanuel, God with us 
(Matt. I : 23). While the Old Testament told of the prom- 
ise of and preparation for the Christ, the New Testament 
tells of the fulfillment, his incarnation, that is, taking a 
human body (John i : 14), This is the great mystery of 
how God joined himself with us in Immanuel to be our 
Saviour. We need not understand how he did it in order 
to believe the record that he did do it. They tell of his 
gospel of the kingdom. We have already traced the plan 
of a kingdom in which God was to be the king; now comes 
the good news that the King has come. This is supported 
by the account of his works of mercy and words of love, 
which prove both his power and his good will toward men. 

2. They tell the story of the c7'oss. This shows the 
rejection of their King by the people (John i : 11), the 
cruel cross on which he died, and the tomb which sealed his 
death. This terrible story is explained as having two widely 
different results. It fastened on man guilt deeper than had 
ever been known (Heb. 10 : 28, 29). Rejection of Christ is 
the one crime so great that it comes up before all others in 
the judgment (John 16 : 9). But through it all, though 
men did not guess it at the time, in giving his life the 
Saviour was making atonement by his blood for sin. So 
then, by sharing the guilt of rejection we may seal our 
doom (Heb. 6 : 6), but by humbly accepting the atonement 
we may be saved (John 3 : 16). 



32 LESSONS FROM THE DESK 

3. They tell the story of the crown. In the resurrection 
of Christ we see the King returning as conqueror from his 
conflict with death. His ascension to heaven follows, in 
which he went to receive his throne. We are told of the 
beginning of his reign ; he is enthroned in heaven, while 
on earth his kingdom is being prepared. 

4. They tell the story of the church which he left on 
earth to continue his work and prepare his kingdom ; its 
great commission to publish the gospel (Matt. 28 : 19, 20) ; 
its endueinent with divine power by the coming of the Holy 
Spirit (Acts i : 8) ; and the beginning of its world conquest 
in his name. The story of the conquest begins with the 
conflict at Jerusalein with those who killed the Christ ; then 
follows the mission to the Gentiles by which the gospel was 
published through Syria, Asia Minor, Greece, and Rome, 
The chief agent in the beginning of this w^ork was Paul, the 
apostle to the Gentiles. Christians went everywhere car- 
rying the good tidings throughout the Roman empire. 

Drill : Four topics, three names and four facts of the 
Christ, three facts and two results of the cross, three facts of 
the crown, three facts of the church. 



LESSON XIII.— THE EPISTLES 

We come to the study of the Epistles, or letters. Of 
these there are twenty-one, two-thirds of \^\\\(^—fourtee7i 
— were written by Paul, by others seven, (N. B., Hebrews, 
generally ascribed to Paul but uncertainly, is here ascribed 
to him for convenience.) Many epistles were written by the 
apostles instructing or encouraging churches and individu- 
als. Of these the Holy Spirit has preserved for us only 
those needful to give complete guidance in faith and prac- 
tice. They are called by the names of the churches or 



CONTENTS OF THE BIBLE 33 



Epistl. 21 



G 




-- P. 14. 

-or. 



OR,. 

(C^f Bjor C ) 
(cat 1,/B.) 

PH. 

(Cm Pftiv.) 



persons to whom they were written, and are not given in 
the order of writing. First, we have the fourteen by Paul : 

The letter to the Roinans is perhaps the greatest letter 
ever written. (We will give it a large initial to mark its 
importance.) It deals with the greatest of themes in the 
most masterly way. It is a full explanation of the great 
doctrine of justification by faith. It was written by Paul 
from Corinth to the Christians in Rome whom he had never 
seen, and sets forth how Jew and Gentile alike must be 
saved by simple faith in Christ. 

I and 2 Corinthians were written to the Christians in 
Corinth while Paul was doing his great work in Ephesus, 
just across the ^gean Sea. We know that at this time he 
wrote at least one other letter to the same church and paid 
them a visit. He writes of the church the body of Christ 
(see I Cor. 12), the Master working through his members, 
using, purifying, strengthening, glorifying them. These 
Corinthian Christians had just come out of, and were still 
surrounded by, the most degrading heathenism. They 

C 



34 LESSONS FROM THE DESK 

could not at first understand how holy a thing was the 
church of Christ which they were in danger of degrading. 
Paul wrote to instruct them in this important matter. 

His letter to the Galatians was written about the same 
time from Ephesus. Galatia was one of the inland prov- 
inces of Asia Minor. Some people, who were more Jew 
than Christian, had come there from Jerusalem insisting 
that they must become Jews and keep all the Jewish cere- 
monies before they could obtain salvation. Paul answers 
this error by a noble letter on Christian liberty from such 
bondage. 

To the Ephesians he wrote from Rome about the Chris- 
tian privilege to enjoy the heavenly life here, to be "filled 
with all the fulness of Christ," and to reveal him toothers. 
It sets a high dignity upon the Christian life. 

While shut up in a Roman prison, amid many discourage- 
ments, Paul wrote to the Philippians a triumphant letter on 
Christian progress. He tells how he had been able to 
triumph in spite of hindrances and points the way of prac- 
tical progress to the Christians at Philippi. 

To the Colossians he wrote a short letter, but one full of a 
wonderful subject, Christ in us. Count the recurrence of 
this and similar phrases and see how wonderful is the result 
of this indwelling of Christ. This is one of the most sug- 
gestive of Paul' s letters. 

Drill : First seven Epistles and their topics. 

LESSON XiV.— THE EPISTLES (Continued) 

The names of the next five letters begin with T ; this 
will aid our memory. 

I and 2 Thessalonians were the earliest of the letters 
written by Paul. They tell about the coming of Christ and 
how Christians should act while waiting for him. After 



CONTENTS OF THE BIBLE 



35 




Epistl. 21-''* 



1-0. 7. 






JIUOE 



HESS. 
ITUS 



leaving Thessalonica Paul learned that the Christians there 
thought Christ was coming at once and that they need not 
work. From Athens Paul wrote to correct this error. 

I and 2 Timothy were written near the close of Paul' s 
life to his young disciple, whom he loved as a father, in- 
structing the young preacher about the pastor' s duties. 
They are full of good advice to young Christians. 

Probably about the same time Paul wrote to another of 
his helpers, Titus, who was left in charge of the work in 
the island of Crete. He gives a list of subjects for preach- 
ing, forming an outline of the most important truths we 
need to keep in mind. 

To Philemon, an old friend, he wrote urging him to 
receive back his runaway slave, Onesimus, now the co7t- 
verted slave, as a brother beloved. Paul seems to have 
met and recognized the runaway, to have been the means 
of his conversion, and to have sent him back to his master 
with this letter. It is valuable as marking the social revo- 
lution Christianity was making. 



36 LESSONS FROM THE DESK 

The letter to the Hebrews (authorship not certain) ex- 
pounds the new covenant. It shows how the Hebrew relig- 
ion finds its fulfillment in Christ. It is a masterly argu- 
ment, and sounds so much like Paul that it is generally 
ascribed to him. 

Aids to Memory : *' E" sound in initials of all Paul's 
letters except Romans : 2 C's, G, E, P, C, 5 T's, P, He. 
(Drill on sounds.) There remain i, 2, 3 ; i James, 2 
Peters, j Johns, and i Jude. Drill on these seven. 

The seven letters which were not written by Paul are 
called by the names of the writers. 

James writes to Jewish Christians (i : i). His subject is 
good works, by which he wants his hearers to prove their 
faith. He is not opposing Paul' s teaching that we are saved 
by faith, but bids us not forget that our faith can be seen 
only by our works. 

Peter vfxiiQs two short letters to Christians generally about 
the Christian life, showing how holy we should be, and how 
much practical effort is required for right living. 

John, the beloved, in one general letter and two brief per- 
sonal ones, tells of the lo7/e of God. No one has written 
on this subject so tenderly. 

Jude adds a short, trenchant rebuke to evil-doers. 

Drill on names and topics. 

LESSON XV.— THE BOOK OF NEW TESTAMENT 
PROPHECY 

We come to the one book of New Testament prophecy. 
It is called the book of The Revelation (not plural, as com- 
monly quoted) or Apocalypse (Greek form). The name 
means that something hidden is hereby uncovered. It is a 
vision given to John, the beloved disciple, author of the 
fourth Gospel and three Epistles, while a prisoner on the 



CONTENTS OF THE BIBLE 



37 



pROPH 




(John, Bel D/sc. 
yoFLL.WAR.'^/No 

Living Redeemer. 
Letters^Churches 
5oNG OF Redemption 
Things TO Co/v\E of the 

Uv/.^ /^r T 'SEALS- TRIUMPHS I A U D 

My5T.of/trumpets-juogi5 Ann 

/ VIAL5 -WRATH IL»* '^ 

DE5TR.0FEYIL. 
Triumph OF Right. 

Final Judgt 

New HeaveH 

Great Invitation-, _ 

COJ^E" 



Uj 



isle of Patmos, in the ^gean Sea (i 19), where he had 
been sent for preaching the gospel. John was at this time 
an old man living and working in Ephesus. Tradition tells 
us that he was shortly afterward martyred. That this 
prophecy is of great importance we learn from the special 
blessing (1:3) pronounced on those who study and heed it, 
and the special warning to those who mar it (22 : 18, 19). 

It is a revelation of the living Redeemer (chap. i). As 
soon as the curtain is lifted we see him all radiant with glory, 
coming forward to greet his servant with the old familiar 
" fear not," hastening to declare himself the crucified and 
risen One. 

It then reveals the Lord' s interested attitude toward his 
servants in seven letters to the churches of Asia (chap. 2 
and 3). These special churches are chosen not because 
these alone interest him, but because they were the ones 
specially under John' s care. These letters reveal our Lord' s 
knowledge of and sympathy with his servants' difficulties, 



38 LESSONS FROM THE DESK 

failures, and triumphs. Each closes with promise of reward 
for faithfulness. 

It reveals the sojtg of redeinption (chap. 4 and 5) which 
the redeemed shall sing around the throne of the Lamb. 
This song recounts the gospel story of salvation by the blood 
of Christ, showing that in heaven we shall not have out- 
grown our faith and love for the old gospel of Calvary. 

It reveals things to come. In bold outline the programme 
of future events is sketched, not so particularly as to narrow 
God' s providence in history, but only as concerns the final 
outcome of great moral principles. 

This revelation of future events is told in figurative lan- 
guage under the three great 7nysteries (chap. 6 to 16) of the 
seven seals of the great book which none but the Lamb on 
the throne could open, and which unfold the triumphs of the 
Lamb over all his enemies ; the seven trumpets which the 
angels were to sound, declaring the judgments of the Lamb 
against all the powers of sin ; the seven vials of the wrath 
of the Lamb, to be poured out on the guilty earth. 

It then reveals the destructiojt of evil (chap. 17 and 18), 
under the poetic picture of the fall of Babylon ; the triumph 
of right {chdi^. 19) ; Xh^ fiJtal judgjnent {ohdi^. 20). 

The book closes with a beautiful revelation of the new 
heaven (chap. 21 and 22) in which God and his people 
shall dwell in glory unmolested by any more presence of 
evil. 

The revelation of the great invitation, *' Come,'' forms 
fitting close for the whole volume of God' s Book of books 
in its two Testaments and its wondrous revelation to man. 
Let class repeat reverently, till learned, Rev. 22 : 17. 

Drill : One book, twelve topics, one closing word. 



II 

THE GIFT OF THE BIBLE 



It is the purpose of this series to answer the common 
questions why and how the Bible was given to us. It covers 
simply the purpose, authority, and history of the canon of 
Scripture, and contains the information which every student 
of the book must have in order to give a reason for his 
acceptance of its teachings. 

BOOK HELPS. 

*'The Parchments of the Faith." Merrill. American 
Baptist Publication Society. 

" History of the English Bible." Pattison. American 
Baptist Publication Society. 



LESSON I.— POSSIBLE SOURCES OF KNOWLEDGE 



GOO 

^^p. GOO N 

/5tLf \power\ 

INTELLECT ^ ' 

EXPERIENCE 



If we wish knowledge of God we may look (i) within the 
narrow circle of self. There we find three teachers : con- 
science^ a ' * still, small voice ' ' which God has placed 
within us to whisper warnings of right and wrong ; iritellecty 
ability to think and understand things brought to our no- 
tice ; experience^ which gathers facts on which our intel- 
lects may work. The result of this study we call reason^ 
i. e., the sum of what our own thinking can tell us. 

41 



42 LESSONS FROM THE DESK 

(2) We may study the wider circle of nature, (See Rom. 
I : 19, 20.) Here we learn that there is a God, who made 
and governs everything, as I know from studying my watch 
that there must be a man who makes watches. As the 
watch shows intelligence, skill, etc., on the part of the 
maker, so from nature we can learn something of God's 
character. From the vastness of the universe we know 
he has great power. From the wonderful arrangement 
of the laws of nature we know he has wisdo?n. From the 
evident care for our comfort we know he has kindness. The 
result of this study we call natural religion. 

(3) But this leaves many questions unanswered. There 
is a wide circle beyond the reach of our telescopes. We 
want somebody to come from the great unknown beyond to 
tell us what lies there. So we look off into that wider circle 
to God himself and ask him to tell us of the unknown and 
teach us of the truth. What he tells us we call Revelation, 
i. e.y what we could not find out for ourselves, but what 
must be revealed (told) to us. In his great mercy God has 
given us such a revelation. Christianity is distinctively a 
revealed religion. 

LESSON II.— THE METHOD OF REVELATION 



TH€A)€moDon?evei^T.ow 












-jj^^ej//i/r 



Naturally we ask. How does God reveal truth to us ? 
He may do it, I. By his presence, i. e., he may himself 



THE GIFT OF THE BIBLE 43 

come and talk to us. We read that he walked and talked 
with Adam in Eden. Thus he began to teach man. 

This presence may be seoi. Throughout the Old Testa- 
ment we read of visits which God thus made to his servants, 
either himself or by his angel, to give them some message 
of truth. This showing of himself is sometimes called the 
aiigel of the covenant. But the greatest appearance of 
God among men was when he took a body like ours and 
lived on earth as Jesus, or, as the prophet named him, 
Immaniiel (God with us). While on earth ]qs\is revealed 
God (John i : i8), his great love (John 3 : 12-16), and the 
way of salvation (John 14 : 6). 

Or his presence may be unseen. Sometimes in the Scrip- 
tures we read of visiorts, in which God showxd his truth to 
his servants without himself being seen. But we must be very 
careful about accepting visions other than those vouched 
for in the Bible. Those who assert that they are guided by 
visions in these days are generally found to be deceived. 

God has given us his unseen presence in the Holy Spirit, 
who Jesus promised (John 16 : 7-15) should abide with 
us to give reminder of Jesus' words, giiida7ice into truth, 
suggestion of duty, and comfort in trouble. 

N. B. We notice that the work of revelation to be done 
by the Holy Spirit is not independent of Jesus and the 
Scriptures (John 16 : 13). There is no hint that he will 
ever reveal to us entirely new orders of truth. His revela- 
tions certainly will not contradict, or be out of harmony 
with the word of God. This is sometimes forgotten by 
those who claim to be guided by him. 

LESSON III.— THE METHOD OF REVELATION 
(Continued) 

We have seen that God's first Method of Revelation is 
by his Presence. We now notice his Revelation, II. By 



44 LESSONS FROM THE DESK 









Scriptures (writings). God might reveal truth to men 
whom he would cause to write and publish it for people 
of other lands or ages. This is his chosen method. We 
have the book (Bible) formed of these writings. 

We now examine (i) their purpose. 

Revelation was put into writings (i) for preservation. 
Spoken messages, however perfectly delivered, are apt to 
be lost — either forgotten altogether or changed in transmis- 
sion, (a) Tradition (unwritten statement) soon becomes 
untrustworthy. Try to pass a message, a little compli- 
cated, among the members of the class and note the errors 
that creep into it. {b) The value of any item may be U7i- 
re cognized and it allowed to be lost unless recorded so that 
it shall be preserved until its value is discovered, {c) The 
oral revelation might come at some time to be entrusted to 
the custody of believers who are unable for any cause to 
transmit it to others. 

(2) For unity. Many revelations gathered in one record 
become one great revelation. This is valuable {a) for 
study — many truths of many ages are placed side by side 
for comparison that their relation and significance may be 
seen ; {b^ for concord — many believers, otherwise holding 
each a fragment, will unite on the whole book ; {c) for 



THE GIFT OF THE BIBLE 45 

standard — the sum of revelation through ages will form a 
rule for belief and practice, as no single tradition could. 

(3) For educatio7i. We grow {a) by search for truth (a 
child needs to be told every little thing ; growth is marked 
by disposition and ability to find out) ; {U) by discovery of 
hidden truth, and rising to its demands ; (<r) by experience 
of truth which has long been the property of the world. 
The book furnishes opportunity for such search, discovery, 
and experience, as no other form of revelation could fur- 
nish. 

LESSON IV.— THE AUTHORITY OF THE 
SCRIPTURES 



THeAi6TK0P OF^^VdLATION 



r>/<f/« ^,) Purpose 

(2) AuTHOR/rv 



'CAR£ yV TAAffJlATfOf^ 
COAf/»A^fSO/>t O^ /n£9 

^Afti.y ff£coof*iy^of^ 
\ex^£Rf£AfC£ orasuevBRs. 



/N MATTER 
C£^t//A^£ 



AUTH£fitT/C 



We have studied (i) the Purpose of the Scriptures as a 
Method of Revelation. We now mark (2) their authority. 
The question naturally arises, Has this book the authority 
needed ? This must rest on three things : 

I. In 7natter it must be genuine, i. e., the book as we 
have it must be what it claims to be and contain just what 
the authors wrote. In answer, we point to care in transla- 
tion : our English versions were made by great scholars 
with the utmost care and are constantly commented on by 



46 LESSONS FROM THE DESK 

multitudes among us who are familiar with the original 
languages. Comparison of inariuscripts : a number of very 
ancient copies have been diligently compared. Early recog- 
nition : the Old Testament finds recognition in its own 
later parts and in the New Testament, while the latter is 
spoken of by many writers in the early church. 

2. In fact it must be authentic. By authenticity we 
mean that its statements can be relied on as true. In 
answer, we point to the fact that its writers were competent^ 
being trustworthy men, for the most part eye-witnesses ; its 
prophecies have h^Qn fulfilled w'lih wonderful exactness ; its 
history and science are constantly being verified by modern 
discoveries ; its doctrines are approved by the moral con- 
science of mankind. 

3. /;/ source it must be inspired by God. For this we 
have the claims of the writers ; the testimony of other 
Scriptures (e. g., 2 Tim. 3 : 16 ; 2 Peter i : 21) ; the supe- 
rior character of the writings themselves ; the marvelous 
unity of the parts, though written by widely different men 
through many ages, pointing to a single (divine) authorship ; 
and the experience of believers, who have tested the truths 
in their lives. These evidences should establish the au- 
thority of the Scriptures for any candid mind. 

LESSON v.— THE LIMIT OF REVELATION 
THROUGH THE SCRIPTURES 

Having noticed the (i) Purpose, and (2) Authority of 
Scriptures, we come now to their (3) Limit. God has told 
us very much of his truth, but there are many things which 
he has not told us. 

The limit is actual, owing to 

(i) Our capacity. Our minds are only human and are 
able to grasp only such truth as can be made plain by illus- 



THE GIFT OF THE BIBLE 47 



Tke Method oTKeveLArio// 

/. By F/^B^EA/C£ 

Zr. By3c^f^rc//i£^ 

(2) AUTHOJ^tT/ 



trations from our human experience. Many truths cannot 
be expressed in terms which we can understand (e, g., the 
Trinity). 

(2) Our needs. God has told us all we need to know for 
salvation and service, but he has not burdened us by re- 
vealing what we do not need (e, g. , he has made the way 
of salvation plain enough for children, but has not explained 
the method of regeneration, which it is his part to perform 
and which we have no need to understand). 

(3) God' s designs. For his own purposes he has kept 
many things hidden which we would like to know. We 
should show our confidence in him by waiting his own 
time. 

The limit is temporary, waiting for 

(i) Greater knowledge. Many things are very clear to 
us now which were hidden from the ancients. Every ad- 
vance in the world' s learning throws fresh light on God' s 
word. Science is almost daily giving us better understand- 
ing of many scriptures. Excavations in the sites of ancient 
cities furnish us with many a fact which makes Scripture 
statements luminous. We may look forward eagerly to 
constantly greater revelations discovered in the old Bible. 

(2) But for many things we must wait for heaven' s light. 



48 LESSONS FROM THE DESK 

' ' For now we see through a glass, darkly ; but then face to 
face : now I know in part ; but then shall I know even as 
also I am known" (i Cor. 13 : 12). 

The limit of revelation will, in proportion to our interest 
in the subjects hidden, cause us to anticipate the fuller 
revelation in whose light we shall progress in the knowledge 
of God throughout eternity. 

LESSON VI.— THE FORMATION OF THE 
SCRIPTURES 



/ Old T£6Tamlnt Canon 
/ P/^ooocr/OA/ fco o/?AL P£/e/oo {: 



CReve/otfon 
\rracfftfon 



(2) AfOSA /C PeR/OO \ /^oses 

1\Scr/pfi/re^ Begrun 
(jJ/?OYAL P£R,OD r„%SrScrISii 
\^Proph€/^3 
, , (Chafcfean /nf/uence 

(4) OreRARY R£V/VAL ]sc/ioo/ 0/ ^6f^Aes 
: < \£zr-ci /Ae £atf-on 

\£/os/ng BOOK'S. 

2.R£COGN/TiON V/J Craouau - Moses ^o£zra 

\f2) PoS/r/V£' AfaccaSea^ Per/oc/ 

3, AR/^ANG£M£Nr (O) /-A\^ -Penf ^j^,^.j^^.j^^.^,„ ^ 
\ ft) Prophets ^: /fj. jer£ie^k"Min pr^A 
\(3)^ACREo /^>e/r/^<?j(^- --^^f,--- 



The Canon of the Scriptures. The word "canon" 
means a rule, or measure, hence it came to mean a stand- 
ard, or law of conduct. By the canon of Scripture we mean 
those books which stand the test of genuineness, authen- 
ticity, and inspiration, and so properly make up our Bible. 
The sixty-six books of the Bible were written at widely dif- 
ferent times without knowledge on the part of the authors 
that they were to be gathered into one canon. How was 
this brought about ? 



THE GIFT OF THE BIBLE 49 

I. The Old Testament Canon. 

I. Production of the canon may be divided into four 
periods : 

(i) The Oral Period, (a) Revelation w^-S, in the earliest 
times spoken by God to man in Eden, and continued by 
this method to the end of the time of the patriarchs. (U) 
Tradition, or the handing down of this revelation and its 
story by word of mouth from father to son was the common 
method of preservation {e. g., Exod. 12 : 26, 27). 

(2) The Mosaic Period, (a) Egyptian learning. At the 
time of the exodus the Egyptian priests were scholars and 
scribes. Their sacred truths were committed to writings 
that were taught in the priestly colleges, {b) Moses was 
educated in one of these colleges and learned the value of 
scriptures. Nothing is more natural than that after his 
break with the Egyptian priesthood he should conceive the 
plan (be inspired by God) to collect and record the tradi- 
tions and revelations of the Hebrews, (c) The Scriptures 
were begun by thus collecting former tradition and adding 
the revelation of the Law. This was the first draft of the 
Pentateuch. 

(3) The Royal Period. After the laxity under the Judges, 
there began with the kingdom a period of literary, as well 
as religious and governmental, activity, {a) The poet ki7igs. 
David, the sweet singer, composed many psalms, at first 
probably only orally preserved and then recorded by temple 
singers for use in worship. Solomon wTote much on many 
subjects, some of which (some psalms. Proverbs, possibly 
Ecclesiastes, and his Song) have come into the canon. 
With these must be classed their disciples, who added other 
psalms and proverbs, (b) Royal scribes, who made and 
preserved many historical records, (c) Prophets, whose 
writings continued through the later kingdom and the exile 
to the time of Nehemiah. 

D 



50 LESSONS FROM THE DESK 

(4) Literary Revival, (a) Chaldean influence during the 
exile incited the Hebrews to gather and study their own 
Scriptures. (U) Schools of scribes {sopherii7i) were estab- 
lished for this purpose in Chaldea. (c) Ezra was the 
greatest of the scribes. With vast industry and integrity 
he collected and edited an edition of the law which he 
brought to Jerusalem and taught. We may call him the 
editor, (d) The closing- books of history and prophecy and 
many psalms w^ere written during this period of the exile 
and restoration. 

2. Recognition of the canon was (i) gradual from 
Moses to Ezra, The law had been enjoined with divine 
authority (Josh, i : 8). Other writings were more or less 
highly regarded at the time of their production. But no 
recognized canon of Scripture was produced until Ezra's 
book of the law. To this was added under his followers 
the writings of that period. (2) Recognition was positive 
by the Maccabean period. The canon as it now stands 
was then complete. 

3. Arrangement. The canon was arranged in three 
parts : (i) The law, including only the Pentateuch, (2) 
The prophets, mdwdmg '' the for??ier prophets'' (^Joshua, 
Judges, Sajnuel, Ki^tgs) and ''the latter prophets'' {Isaiah, 
Jereyniah, Ezekiel, and the minor prophets, (3) The sacred 
writings {Hagiographa), including Psabns, Proverbs, Job, 
Song of Solojnon, Ruth, Lanieiitations, Ecclesiastes, Esther, 
Daniel, Ezra, Nehe7niah, Chronicles. This order is still 
preserved in the Hebrew Bible. 

LESSON VII.— FORMATION OF THE SCRIPTURES 
(Continued) 

II. New Testament Canon. 

I. Production, (i) The oral period. As soon as Christ 



THE GIFT OF THE BIBLE 5 I 



II I\fetv7e6fame/ffCc7/?o/i. 

/ Pj?nf)//rr/n/ir 01 ORAL PERfOD 

spread efGoshet. 

c. COll£Cr/0/^ 0) Scattered AM6f</0 Cmurcmc^. 

fZ) Af/XEO wir-M OrMEns 
C3) SOUQHT AHD SrUOfEO 

3. RECOGNmON 0) mv^ testament 

(Z)^ Eahly Wr/ters 

(3) On/verbal Church 

4. TSST/A^O (/) SCHOLARSHtp. 

(2) £XP£RI£NCE 



began to teach, his disciples recognized that he brought a 
new revelation {e, g.y " But I say, ' * constantly repeated in 
Sermon on Mount) which would need to be reported. They 
accepted the commission as witnesses who should testify. 
But for a long time it did not occur to them that his words 
should be recorded. 

(2) Period of recording, {a) The spread of the gospel in 
many lands and among people to whom the ideas of the 
gospel were new would necessitate some means of certified 
instruction beyond occasional visits of the apostles, (b) The 
passing of witnesses. As the original disciples came to re- 
alize that they would grow old and pass away before the 
need of their testimony should be over, that the church of 
Christ should be permanent and the Christian era be pro- 
longed (/. e. , Christ' s return not immediate), they were im- 
pressed with the necessity of leaving records. Many wrote 
(Luke I : i) whose v^ritings never became canonical, (c) 
ForiJiation of doctrine also demanded written expositions. 
The earliest disciples were simply witnesse'S to receive and 
transmit what they saw and heard. They made no deduc- 



52 LESSONS FROM THE DESK 

tions. Their minds were too full of facts to admit of formu- 
lating the significance. Paul approached the subject afresh. 
He had never seen Jesus in the flesh. He claimed direct 
revelation from God of the significance of the events to 
which the disciples witnessed. He reduced their testimony 
to doctrines (teachings) for guidance in living. These he 
wrote in letters to different churches and individuals. 
Others did likewise and the early church began to have a 
literature. 

2. CoUectio7t. The last of the apostles died near the 
close of the first century of the Christian era. By this 
time all the writings were produced, (i) They were scat- 
tered among the churches all over the Roman Empire, no 
one church probably possessing either original or copy of 
more than a very few writings. (2) They were mixed with 
other writings by disciples of the apostles, or other teachers. 
Many of these were held in high esteem. (3) They were 
sought and studied with greatest care. The early rise of 
heresies led to the recognized necessity of gathering the au- 
thoritative writings and passing judgment on others. (4) 
Early collections of which we have knowledge were by 
Marciony c. 140 A, D., whose conclusions, made to support 
his own views, raised such a protest among the churches 
that in 170 A. D. we find a list known as the Muratori 
Frag7nent, recognizing the Gospels, the Acts, thirteen 
Epistles of Paul, two of John, Jude, and Revelation, and 
mentioning the doubtful character of certain others. So 
gradually, before the close of the second century, the scat- 
tered writings were gathered and sifted by the churches. 

3. Recognition, In the later writings of the (i) New Testa- 
ment begins the recognition of other parts (2 Peter 3 : 16). 
Various (2) early writers of the first two centuries make such 
large quotations that nearly the whole canon could be 
gleaned from them. By the beginning of the third century 



THE GIFT OF THE BIBLE 53 

we meet the name, New Testament, applied to a collection 
of nearly all the books now accepted. The final canon has 
come to be accepted by the (3) imiversal church. 

4. Testing, For eighteen centuries these writings have 
been tested by (i) scholarship, and (2) experience. The 
canon stands the test and is to-day more strongly estab- 
lished than ever before. 

LESSON VIII. —PRESERVATION OF THE 
SCRIPTURES 



Prefer va t/oa/ ofth£ SoRtpruRE^, 

ATERl AL6.— 6i7^^A4rA5, *5fy>ne. Papyrus. Porcfimenf', 

K^/um, Paper. 

HL ACES .- Ark CovfrTemp.r '5yn., - Ch.rMon, 
EANS.-UeR50NS.->O/-/^j/j, 6cnbe^,Monk^ 

\Jorrectiri^ 

ENACESr Per5ec.,Transcr., Erasures. Ignorance. 




The preservation of the Scriptures involves (i) The 
materials. The earliest writings of w^hich we know were 
made upon clay tablets, the inscription being scratched on 
the soft clay which was then baked hard. Thus were pre- 
served the records of the ancient nations from the ruins of 
whose cities we are now digging many such tablets. Stone 
was also used, either in small tables (e. g., the Decalogue) 
or monuments. Papyrus, made by stripping and piecing 
together the membrane of the papyrus plant, was used in 
the time of Moses. Later parchment, carefully dressed 
sheepskin, was used. (See 2 Tim. 4 : 13.) Velliwi was also 
used in ancient and medieval times. This was a finer 



54 LESSONS FROM THE DESK 

preparation of skin than parchment, and is the material on 
which most of the ancient manuscripts which remain to us 
were written. When in the twelfth century printing was de- 
vised, paper came to be the material for the preservation of 
the Scriptures. 

2. The means, (i) Places. The ark of the covenant 
was the first place of preservation of the Scriptures. In it 
the stone tables of the Decalogue were kept. The te77iple 
was the hiding-place of the book of the law (2 Kings 
22 : 8). Later the Jews kept their sacred rolls in the syna- 
gogues. The Christians kept them among the treasures of 
the churches. In the Middle Ages, however, the mo7iasteries 
became the great libraries of the church. (2) Persons. 
Among the early Hebrews Xht priests were the custodians of 
the Law. From the time of the exile the scribes assumed 
that duty. In later times the rno7iks became the copyists 
and keepers of the Scriptures. Every monastery had its 
writing room (scriptorium) where copies of the Scriptures 
were laboriously made by the monks. (3) Pains. We 
are glad to know that this most important work was not 
carelessly done. Greatest pains were taken in copying. 
Monks made it their life-work, as the Hebrew scribes had 
done. Minute rules were laid down and carefully followed. 
Each letter was formed reverently. Utmost pains have also 
been taken in modern times in cotlecti7ig\hQst manuscripts. 
The monasteries of Europe, Asia, and Africa have been 
ransacked and great prices paid for the books when found. 
In correcting mistakes of copying or translating also no 
pains have been spared. The world's greatest scholars 
have given themselves to the study and comparison of 
existing manuscripts, that we may have the most perfect 
Bible possible. 

3. Menaces to preservation were (i) Persecutions^ when 
efforts were made by enemies of God's word to destroy 



THE GIFT OF THE BIBLE 55 

every copy. In the early church those who through fear 
gave up their Bibles were called " traditores." (2) Tran- 
scriptions. With the best of care, errors will creep in 
through the process of copying. (3) Erasures. Vellum 
was costly and often whole books were scrubbed out that 
the vellum might be used for another writing. Many valu- 
able copies of Scripture were thus lost. Some we have 
been able to restore by chemicals. These are called pa- 
limpsests (written on twice). (4) Ignorance, e. g., Tisch- 
endorf discovered the great Sinaitic manuscript by frag- 
ments in the waste basket. The monks were ignorant of 
its value and had already burnt part. 

4. Ma7iiiscripts. Owing to these causes no manuscript 
copies of the Scriptures can be found of earlier date than 
A. D. joo. The most ancient ones are called iincialSy be- 
cause written in unconnected capital letters. The more 
modern (medieval) are called cursives, because written in a 
running hand. Of the uncials we have discovered about 
100, and of the cursives about 1300, The latter, while not 
themselves so ancient, may be very valuable as copies of 
very' ancient manuscripts now forever lost. Many of the 
cursives are beautifully executed, with handsome colored 
and gilded initial letters. Each represents the life-work of 
some pious monk. The uncials are unadorned and homely, 
but of value to us past all price as affording us opportunity 
to correct later mistakes. Of course none of the original 
writings of the Scripture have survived. 

LESSON IX.— PRESERVATION AND TRANSLATION 

Manuscripts and Versions. The word ' ' manuscript, ' ' 
or "codex," is applied by common consent to a copy of the 
Scriptures in the original Greek, while "version" is used 
for a translation into some other language. 



56 LESSONS FROM THE DESK 



UNCiALS - ^OO "^so AD. 

{YATfCAA/ COD£X Vaf^ Uh Rome A/ex 
6fNAmC • Z5ch..Co^v.^t.Cafh.,Mt^,/S44-S9^.fi^ 
ALEXANDRiNS * C/iasJ /62d BntAfuj. lamf. 
C0O£XEPHRAEM Jfofa/l/b., Pans. C.cfeMed. 

iSEPTUAQ/A/T 'jO'OJ-Hcb-Ok-A/ex.iJs-fSoBc. 
6AMAR/ TAN'Pen^ -SamShecT/oomc. 
PBSHtTO - O NT'sSyr - Z^PCf-yCO 
VULGATE' La^-St.Jer - ^oo A.o.-BeA/f.Jc/i/r 
< f^eiT. Ver 



I. Manuscripts. Of the ancient manuscripts already re- 
ferred to we can only here study four of the most important, 
whose names and stories should be known by every Bible 
student. These are all uncials produced between joo and 
430 A. D, 

(i) The Vatican Codex is so named because found in the 
Vatican Library at Rome, It was probably made in Alex- 
a7idria early in the fourth century. There is a tradition 
that Constantine, the first Christian emperor, on his conver- 
sion (323) ordered fifty copies of the Scriptures to be made 
on finest vellum as presents from him to different churches. 
Some have thought this was one of these. For five hun- 
dred years it has been jealously guarded by the Church of 
Rome as one of her dearest treasures. 

(2) The Sinaitic Codex was discovered by Tischendorf in 
the Convent of St. Catharine at Mt. Sinai. In 1844 he 
visited the convent, searching for manuscripts, and found 
loose leaves of the book in a great basket of waste paper 
which the monks used to light the fire. As soon, however, 
as they learned that the manuscript was valuable they re- 
fused to let him have more than a few leaves. Fifteen years 
passed before Tischendorf was able to secure the remainder 



THE GIFT OF THE BIBLE 57 

of the book, in i8^g. The story is one of the romances of 
history. The manuscript is a priceless treasure and is now 
preserved at St. Petersburg, 

(3) The Alexa7idri7ie Codex is the property of the British 
government, having been presented to Charles I. in 1628 
by the Patriarch of Constantinople, who brought it from 
Egypt. It is now in the British Miiseiun, London. 

(4) The Codex Ephraein belongs to the Royal Library at 
Paris. When Catharine de Medici came to France as 
queen she brought with her from Florence a volume of 
serniojis by Ephraein of Syria. About two hundred years 
ago it was noticed that beneath the writing of Ephraem 
more ancient characters had been erased. After much labor 
the original writing was brought out by chemicals and de- 
ciphered. It proved to be a copy of the Scriptures from the 
fourth century which had been deliberately erased to make 
room for the bishop's sermons. This is the best example 
we have of the palimpsests (rescripts) already noted. 

II. Versions. Of the ancient versions the most impor- 
tant are : 

(i) The Septuagint, which means seventy, so called from 
a tradition that seventy translators were employed upon it 
It is a translation of the whole Old Testainent from LLebrew 
into Greek, made at Alexandria, Egypt, a Greek city with 
large Jewish population, between 2'/^ and /jo B. C. It was 
the Bible used and quoted by Christ a7id his apostles, 

(2) The Samaritan, containing only the Pentateuch, made 
in the Sa77taritan dialect at Sheche77i, probably a ce7itury or 
7nore before Christ, 

(3) The Peshito, or Syriac, is probably the earliest trans- 
lation of the Old a7id New Testa77te7its made in the Chris- 
tian church, possibly as early as seco7id ce7itury, A. D. The 
language is the Syriac, or Aramaic, the language of the 
early gospel preaching. 



58 LESSONS FROM THE DESK 

(4) The Vulgate made in the Latin by St. Jerome about 
400 A. D., in a cave in Bethlehem of Judea, This was the 
''Revised versio7i'' of the Latin Church, being made to 
supersede the unsatisfactory earlier Latin versions. It is 
called Vulgate (common) because it became the common 
standard version of the church for ages. 

LESSON X.— THE ENGLISH BIBLE 



VWI0N5:- 



II'rPRlNTED 
VER5I0N5 / 



The ENGLI3H Bible, 

"CAEDMOA/. l^^'Ch/.. Bfb. Stories -Bo/, ver 

V£NERfidL£B£DE- 6''''C/-y. Uno.Cosp. 

Hi:f.ALfR£0^ S'^'^Cty. A/fls. Dooms. 
^Jf^oWyCUFFB.MZ'^ Cty /^''Cor7?y?/.£r?^.B//b/e'r/tyi/ic. 

(ty^TyAlt?M£ Oe'-.^ay-frt/ebJ-C^. iVorms 

\B/b Burnt 5t.P.Lon.' A^art. /S36. 
/^/l£6 COV£RDAL£. Con3 ^0 ^en. m-Fr Tynd. Va/^ & io^^ . 
OReAT 3/3L£' Ord. /Cf ^en. V///. /S39J0-0/f/c/o/ Bid. 

C^^NEVA S/BL£ {Geneva- Pur. £x /S60 
' X^Mar. No.-/^om.Type. Ver "SreecAeJ S/'Jij/e'' 

B/6//0P6B/BL£.Qn.£/f2. /S68 

AUTHOP/ZeO Y£R6/0^- K^.Jas.-/6//. ^7 Trans Frjnc M6S 
^REV/6EO VER^/ON - 168^ - £n^. StAm. Crot^th of [j^^/^ 



I. Manuscript Versions. In early days various frag- 
mentary attempts were made to render parts of the Bible 
into Anglo-Saxon. Only a few of the most noted need be 
named : 

Caedmon (seventh century), a cowherd monk, sitting de- 
spondent in his stable because he had no gift of song to join 
with his fellows, heard a voice, "Sing, Caedmon, sing to 
me." Amazed at newly waked powers he turned Bible 
stories into the rude ballad verse of the vernacular. These 
became very popular among monks and people. 

" The Venerable Bede'' (eighth century), a great scholar, 
translated y<?y^;/' J Gospel, still valued for its scholarship. 



THE GIFT OF THE BIBLE 59 

King Alfred {iiinth century') translated and incorporated 
into his laws portions of the Bible under the title Alfred' s 
Dooms ; worthy of note as being the first royal sanction of 
translation into English. 

foJui Wycliffe (^fourteenth centmy) made the first com- 
plete E7iglish Bible. It was based on Jerome's Latin Vul- 
gate, He met opposition and persecution and his book w^as 
condemned. In part of the work he was assisted by other 
scholars. 

II. Printed Versions. The Reformation set men to 
study the Bible. Naturally, preceding and during the Eng- 
lish Reformation many attempts would be made to give the 
Bible to the people, since printing now made possible its 
publication. 

William Tyndale {sixteeiith coitiiry) early formed the 
ambition, ' ' If God spares me I will one day make the boy 
that drives the plow in England know more of Scripture 
than the pope does." His translation was made /r^w the 
origifial Hebrew and Greek. Obliged to do his work out- 
side of England he began it in Cologne, but was obliged to 
flee to Worms, where the books were printed and smuggled 
to England. The translation w-as condemned by the church 
and copies of the Bible burnt before St. PatiV s, Londo7t, 
by the bishop. The stor}^ is well known how the Bishop 
of London zealously bought and burnt a w^hole edition, 
thereby unwittingly paying for a new and better one. Tyn- 
dale, after many toils and hardships was martyred, 1536. 

Miles Coverdale sought with C07ise7it of the Ki7ig, He7iry 
VIIL, to make a version that should be free from the stig- 
ma placed upon Tyndale' s. It was in part a revisio7i of 
Ty7idale Sy and partly translated from the Vulgate and Lu- 
thcT^ s Ger77ia7i Bible. He was disappointed in his hopes, 
as his work was rejected to make way for 

The Great Bible, made by order 0/ Ki7ig He7iry VIIL, 



60 LESSONS FROM THE DESK 

in ijjg-40. It was the official Bible, very great in size, 
and ordered to be chained to the desk of churches. 

The Geneva Bible, made at Geneva by Puritaji exiles in 
1360, became the most popular of all versions among the 
people of England. It was smaller and cheaper ; it con- 
tained 7narginal notes of value ; it was the first Bible printed 
in the present Roman type (instead of "black-letter"), and 
divided into verses. Sometimes called the ''Breeches Bi- 
ble * ' for so rendering * ' aprons ' * in Gen. 3 : 7. 

The Bishops' Bible, made under Queen Elizabeth, 1368, 
never became popular. 

Our present Authorized version was made by order of 
Ki7ig James, 161 1, hy forty-seven translators, in opposition 
to the Geneva Bible, whose notes were not to the royal taste. 
For the first time many anciejit manuscripts and the previous 
scholarship of all nations were diligently compared, and the 
work thoroughly done. 

A Revised version was published in 1884, prepared by 
the best scholars of England and America. This was nec- 
essary, because of the growth of the language changing the 
meaning of many words, and the growth of scholarship 
making it possible to render the meaning of the original 
much more exactly than heretofore. 



Ill 

THE MESSAGE OF THE BIBLE 



It is intended to present a clear analysis of the essential 
features of the great doctrines of sin and redemption without 
entering upon theological theories or controversies. As the 
needs of every class differ from those of every other, it has 
been thought best to present the material in this exceed- 
ingly condensed form that the teacher may divide and ex- 
pand it to meet his own requirements. The value of such 
a course lies in its simplicity and definiteness of statement. 



LESSON I.— THE MESSAGE OF THE SCRIPTURES 




IN> War. Com. Fatal. 
AVIOUHs Prom. PRES./ITON. Int. Ret. 
AlVATION>FiN. OFF: Exp. 

ERVICE>T« GREAT ?^^- 
ONG> 



/?f »v. 



(May be used as a Bible reading, or the substance of the references may be 
used in the ordinary normal method.) 

Message of the Scriptures. — The book from begin- 
ning to end tells of the great sin : warfied (Gen. 3:3; 
Ezek. 18 : 20) ; committed (Gen. 3:6; Rom. 3 : 23) ; fatal 
(Rom. 5 : 12). 

The great Saviour : promised (Q^n. 3:15; Matt, i : 21- 
23) ; present (Luke 2 : 10, 11 ; Acts 4 : 12) ; atoning (i 
Peter 2 : 24) ; interceding (Rom. 8 : 34 ; i John 2:1, 2) ; 
returning (John 14 : 1-3 ; Rev. 22 : 20). 

The great salvation: finished (John 19 : 30 ; Heb. 9 : 
25-28) ; offered {^oWvi 5 : 24 ; Rom. 10 : 7-1 1) ; experienced 
(i Peter 2 : 7). 

The great service : involving the Great Commission (Matt. 
28 : 19, 20 ; John 20 : 21-23) ; the great embassy (2 Cor. 
5 : 18-20) ; the great reward (2 Tim. 4 : 7, 8). 

The great song i^^M. 5 : 9-14). 

63 



64 LESSONS FROM THE DESK 

LESSON II.— THE GREAT SIN 







AppfARAHce - Attractive 

NATUfie — PER50NAU 

EHP — DE^Arr^ 



OUBT 

REAO 
EATM 



RATH-ETfUTYAL 



BY I AW 

-JROPHETS 

OVE. 



The Message of the Scriptures Concerning Sin. — 
Sin is divergence from God. Draw two lines diverging at 
an acute angle. Show how, taking different directions at 
the start, the divergence keeps widening. This is the idea 
of sin — anything that widens the distance between us and 
God. By this rule we may test our actions. 

(i) We have the warning {not threat), given first in Eden 
and constantly repeated in the Old and the New Testament, 
that the appearance of sin is attractive (like a pleasant 
fruit), temptation is an appeal to our taste, hence the more 
dangerous ; its nature is personal (Gen. 3:3; Ezek. 18 : 
20) ; its end is death, 

(2) The wrong step, away from God. Satan persuaded 
man to doubt God. Doubt quickly ripened into an act of 
disobedience ; and, in place of loving confidence, came a 
dread of meeting God. This is the story of man' s separa- 
tion from God. It ends in death — cut off from God, like 
a flower plucked from the branch (Eph. 2 : i). 

(3) The sad story of the widening gulf ^(Ws Bible history. 
(Call attention to the diagram of diverging lines.) Man be- 
came *' alienated fro7n the life of God'' (Eph. 4 : 18) as a 
boy' s taste for evil ways may alienate him from home and 
parents. The gulf grows wider through eternity. 



THE MESSAGE OF THE BIBLE 6$ 

(4) But the Bible gives us the story of the wanderers re- 
called, God could not bear to let them go. He sent his 
law to show them how they could return, his prophets to 
warn and entreat them, and punishments to awaken them. 
But more than all, he sought to draw them by his great 
love, constantly revealed and culminating in the gospel. 

If the sinner resists all this, God can do no more. There 
remains only (5) wrath eternal, away from the presence of 
God, in a place by itself, that the sin may no more bring 
pollution and death to others (2 Thess. 1:9; Rev. 21 : 27). 



LESSON III.— THE GREAT SAVIOUR 



Saviouh 




N: 



^£C£SStTY OFATONEM£NT, 
EEDY £>Oi/iS 



^^^ Iaamanuel-Woa/oerpul! 

MAN I »f 

L0N0nR0Mf5£' EDEN. A BR, PROPH, 

rk£PARATfOfi-FulnessofT,M£ -PeopreHc/p/ess- ^ . 
tiahionsU/ii^ecf. La^^t^otfeKeao^. 

5HARE TEMPTATIONS , T£ACH, WN, fiTONE, CONQUER DEATH, 

/NTERCEDE Rii9fr-'^ 



Tms/sm^sormme^ffJ'J^pe, iVMrnsr^ivemsT 



The Message of the Scriptures Concerning the 
Saviour. 

(i) Why was he sent ? The means of recalling the wan- 
derers studied in our last lesson were not sufficient. There 
was necessity of atonement Heb. 9 : 22 expresses a great 
law. Sin always ends in death. Some one must go into 
death to save. Then too, needy souls lay helpless. We 
cannot save ourselves. The dead must be called to life. 

E 



66 LESSONS FROM THE DESK 

(2) Who was sent ? To do this great work he must be 
God, but to bear our sins he must be 7Jia?t also. Matt, i : 23 
tells how these two were joined in Imjnanuel {Go^ with us). 
In the miracle of his birth he was truly God, yet truly man. 
We need not be distressed because we cannot explain this. 
Isaiah had prophesied (Isa. 9 : 6), "His name shall be called 
WonderfuV (something that cannot be explained). This 

is our assurance, that he is able to save. 

(3) ^//^/^ was he sent ? Mx.^x long promise 2iii^ prepara- 
tion. Promised first in Eden, just after sin came, repeated 
to Abraham and through prophets. Long preparation had 
made the fullness of tiine (Gal. 4 : 4), /. e. , preparation was 
complete. God' s own people were helpless and looking for 
a Saviour. The nations were united under one empire, for 
Rome had conquered the world and reduced the govern- 
ment to order. This would make the spread of the gospel 
possible. The most perfect language was ready to bear the 
story, for Greek culture had preceded Roman conquest. 

(4) What was he sent to do ? To share our teinptations, 
that he might sympathize with us and know how to help us ; 
to teach us heavenly things ; to win us by his grace ; to 
atone for our sin on the cross ; to conquer death in the 
resurrection ; to intercede for us in heaven ; to returit for 
us ; and to reign forever. (Drill on Acts 4:12, " There is 
7ione other name, ' * etc. ) 



LESSON IV.— THE GREAT SALVATION 

The Message of the Scriptures Conxerning Salva- 
tion. — As we cannot save ourselves, neither can we be 
saved without doing our part. The moment we do ours 
w^e can rely on Christ to do his part and complete the work 
which we cannot do for ourselves. 



THE MESSAGE OF THE BIBLE 



67 



The Great Salvation 



OUR P 

ciiRisrs 




,(HRI5T 



I RCPCMTANCE-TURHINCFKOWSJN 
TAI TH IN 
SVRKENPER TO 
OBEDIENCE TO 

REGEMERATIOM {««?.-» 

JU5TIFICATI0N-«,M«»»>.r«.<» 

KEEPiriG 



►Sakctificatk. 

I. ScTnua Apart 
Hot.irte«» 



Our part consists in repeiitance, i, e., turniiig from sin. 
We cannot be saved from sin and cling to it. We see how 
sinful it is, are sorry for it, and turn from it. For this we 
must have divine help, which we get by faith in Christ 
We believe and trust in him. Surrender to Christy the act 
of submission by which we give up our will and take him 
for Saviour and Master. Obedieitce to Christ will then be 
our line of life. 

Christ' s part, which we can only believe and thankfully 
accept, is regeneration — a long word, but telling the most 
important change made in us. This change is defined in 
Scripture in three ways : Cha?ige of heart (Ezek. 36 : 26), 
new birth (John 3 : 7), resurrection from the dead (Eph. 
2 : 5). While we cannot tell how this mysterious change 
takes place ; we know it is just what we need. We have no 
need to know more, since it is Christ' s part to perform it 
(John 5 : 24). fustification, i. e., making us right with God. 
We were rebels, condemned. Now he declares us loved 
children with all the law satisfied (Rom. 5:1). Keeping, 
Our own strength might fail, but we can rely on his power 
(2 Tim. 1:12; I Peter i : 5) to keep us to the end. 

Then both we and Christ unite in the work of saiictifica- 
tion. This consists in, (i) Setting apart for his service ; 
on our part an act of dedication, on his part one of ordina- 
tion ; (2) Growing in holiness by companionship with him. 
This is accomplished by his grace and our effort. 



68 LESSONS FROM THE DESK 

If the lesson is to be taught to small children, the defini- 
tions may be used alone, /. e., "change of heart" instead 
of "regeneration," etc. 

LESSON v.— THE GREAT SERVICE 



5^' 



/\(JjecrorCALLfNG 



f IbLIGATION „„ _.ARTNtHSHIP. 

Mpportunity -^ RRACTICAL'H'i^ 

f REACHINQ GOSPEL (^ei 



ARTNE.RSHIP wiTM CHRIST ^Z^nt% 



ABROAO 

OTHCMS 



AYING \SYSTenATic 



j^c;^^ 



The Message of the Scriptures Concerning Service. 
— The Bible tells us of the great service, a life devoted to 
obediently carrying out God' s will instead of narrowing our 
lives to self-seeking. This is presented as — 

(i) The object of our calling (John 15 : 16). It is not in- 
cidental, but the purpose of the great salvation. We are 
saved not merely that we may escape hell or enter heaven, 
but that we may enter this life of service which is the true 
life of the child of God, both in earth and heaven (Rev. 
22 : 3). 

(2) An obligation resting on those who have been re- 
deemed from death, since our lives henceforth belong to 
God (i Cor. 6 : 20), and others are in need of our help 
toward the same blessings (Matt. 10 : 8), for God has made 
us stewards of his grace (i Peter 4 : 10). 

(3) An opportunity y not merely for the servant's reward 
(Rev. 2 : 10), but for the highest destiny, that of /^r/;/^r- 
ship with Christ (2 Cor. 6 : i) both in his work of redemp- 



THE MESSAGE OF THE BIBLE 69 

tion (John 20 : 21), which is a pursuit so noble that he 
himself sought it, and also in his reward (Rom. 8 : 17). 

The method of this service is by (i) practical consecra- 
tion of every ordinary act of life (Col. 3 : 17), so that what 
before was secular now becomes Christian service ; and by 
practical helpfulness to those about us (Gal. 6 : 2). 

(2) Preaching the gospel both at horne (Mark 5 : 19 ; 
John I : 41) and abroad {yidixk, 16 : 15), helping to send by 
others where we cannot ourselves go (Rom. 10 : 14, 15). 

(3) Prayi?ig earnestly for the work and workers is no 
small part of the service (James 5 : 16). Many are called 
to a fruitful ministry of prayer who by God' s providence 
are denied other service. 

(4) Paying for the support of the gospel is also an im- 
portant part of our service. Our gifts should be willing 
(2 Cor. 9 : 7) and systematic (i Cor. 16 : 2). 

By faithfully performing the great service we shall hasten 
the great song, when the hosts of the redeemed shall be 
gathered before the throne to sing the song of redemption 
with which all heaven shall ring. 



IV 
THE LANDS OF THE BIBLE 



FIRST SERIES 

HISTORICAL GEOGRAPHY OF BIBLE LANDS 

Concerning a land whose known history covers a period 
of six thousand years of constant change something more is 
necessary than mere geography. It has been attempted in 
this series to give the geography of events and eras in 
Bible history. By this method not only do both subjects 
become intelligible, but opportunity is given to the teacher 
to infuse life and interest into the study. 



LESSON I.— LANDS OF THE OLD TESTAMENT 




L Extent. Our map equals about one-half the area of 
the United States. Fully three-fourths of this area, how- 
ever, is either water or desert. 

IL Water Boundaries. On the west is the Mediterra- 
nean Sea, whose eastern shore line is known to us as the 
Levant ; northeast, the Caspia7i Sea ; southeast, the Per- 
Stan Gulf. 

III. Mountains, i. On the north lies a great moun- 
tain barrier composed of Mounts Taurus and Ara7^at. 2. 
Stretching southeastward from Ararat lie the Zagros Moun- 
tains as far as the Persian Gulf. 3. In the west the Leba- 
nons extend a little west of south along the Mediterranean 
coast, an almost unbroken chain from the Taurus to the 
Sinaitic peninsula, though not generally included under 

73 



74 LESSONS FROM THE DESK 

one name. In Syria it consists of two parallel ranges, 
Lebanon (to the west) and Anti-Lebanon, the latter termi- 
nating in Mount Hennon, nine thousand feet high, capped 
with perpetual snow. Moving southward we have the 
hills of Galilee, Mou7it Ephraim, Mount Judah, Mount 
SeiVy and Mount Sinai. It is about this western chain that 
Bible history chiefly centers. 

IV. Rivers. There are four principal rivers : i. The 
Euphrates (or Great River), dividing the map diagonally 
from northwest to southeast. It formed the natural boun- 
dary between the nations of the east and those of the 
west. 2. The Tigris, its sister stream, fertilizing the dis- 
trict between the Zagros Mountains and the Euphrates. 3. 
The Jordan, in a deep gorge in the mountains of Palestine ; 
a little, crooked, muddy stream, yet serving most impor- 
tant purpose in Bible history. 4. The Nile, by whose 
waters Egypt has been made. 

To these we add five smaller rivers : i. The river of 
Egypt, a stream flowing north from Sinai into the Mediter- 
ranean, which was to serve as the southern boundary of the 
Promised Land. 2. The Abana (modern Baradd), and 3. 
Pharpar, "the rivers of Damascus," which rise in the 
Anti-Lebanons, and make with their abundant waters the 
rich oasis of fruit gardens about Damascus, and are then 
lost in the desert sands. Finally the two streams which di- 
vide the Lebanons and the Anti-Lebanons with broad and 
fertile valley, the 4. Leontes, flowing south from Baalbec, 
the ancient city of the Sun, and the 5. Oro7ites, flowing 
north and making Syrian Antioch, which played so impor- 
tant a part in the missionary work of the New Testament. 

V. Desert. The whole center of the map, from a little 
east of the Jordan to the Euphrates, is occupied with the 
Great Desert of Syria and Arabia. It is a wild region of 
sand and rocks, largely destitute of water, inhabited only 



THE LANDS OF THE BIBLE 



75 



by wild Bedouin tribes. i. This desert has formed a bar- 
rier. Travel has always had to go around, up the Eu- 
phrates and down through Syria. 2. It has preserved old 
types, customs, and ideas. For this reason Palestine is in 
many respects what it was three or four thousand years ago. 
Foreign civilizations have come, built, set up empires, crum- 
bled, and gone, while the desert patiently waited in its 
tents and then returned to repopulate the land with the old 
stock. 3. The desert has made Palestine. By compel- 
ling travel to pass through that narrow path between the 
Jordan and the sea, it has forced the nations of the east to 
make it their highway. 

LESSON II.— GEOGRAPHY OF THE PATRIARCHS 





( 


"«-'Yf"^L 


^ \/ 












^1 


lA 


/ 


f /y>- — ^ 


fix ^ ^ 

^'^*&, ARABIAN 0£S£fiT 


N 


\chai,oe>\ 


ImJoshea/ 










iJs'*''**'^^ 


Lypt i\ 


\ 








\ 



I. Nations. The Babylonians and Chaldeans dwelt in 
and about the nearly water-girt region above the union of 
Euphrates and Tigris, where for thousands of years they 
maintained a high civilization. The Assyrians had mi- 
grated northward and settled on the upper Tigris. The 
Arainceans, also migrating northward, had settled Mesopo- 



^6 LESSONS FROM THE DESK 

ta7ma, the great upper region between the rivers, and Syria^ 
the district between the Euphrates and the Lebanons. These 
were the great inland merchants owning the important 
trading posts along the caravan road, Haran, Carchemish, 
Hainath, and Daiiiascus, The Phoenicians had settled on 
the seacoast west of the Lebanons, and from their cities, 
Sidon and Tyre, sent out their ships for the wealth of dis- 
tant lands. The Canaanites had settled in the hills west of 
Jordan among the more ancient dwellers of the land, the 
Hittites and Amorites, Except for these two last named 
all these people belonged to the great Semitic branch of 
the human family. Two non-Semitic nations were impor- 
tant factors in the political history of the whole map. In 
the far east was Elain, that in the time of Abraham domi- 
nated the Chaldeans and Babylonians, and sent armies to 
collect tribute as far as Canaan ; on the far west lay Egypt, 
always jealous of the power of the eastern nations. The 
great Arabian Desert was full of wild Arab tribes. 

II. Journeys of Abraham. Following the course of 
his Aramaean kinsman, the sheik, Terah, migrated from 
Ur, of the Chaldees, northward to Haran, of Mesopota7nia. 
There Terah died, and his son, Abram, became sheik of 
the tribe. At God' s command Abram led his people west 
and south through Syria into Canaan, camping first at 
Sheche?n, where God promised him the ownership of the 
land. Then at Bethel. Then to avoid famine he paid a 
visit to Egypt, where Sarai' s beauty drew Pharaoh' s atten- 
tion and became the cause of a hasty return to Bethel. 
Here the tribe separated. Lot moving into the Jordan 
Valley and settling in Sodom, Abram going southward and 
camping in the grove of Mamre, near Hebron, or Kirjath- 
Arba. While there he made friends with the three Amor- 
ite brothers, Mamre, Eshcol, and Aner. With these he 
pursued Chedorlaomer, king of Elam, who had come with 



THE LANDS OF THE BIBLE yj 

a great army and sacked the rich cities of the Dead Sea, 
carrying away Lot among the prisoners from Sodom. 
Abram pursued the army as far north as Damascus, won a 
great victory, and returned with the captives and much 
spoil. Later he lived in Beer-shebay on the southern bor- 
der of the land. He was buried in the cave of MachpelaJi, 
in Hebron, which he had bought for a sepulchre. 

in. The Journey of Eliezer, Abraham's servant, 
back to Mesopotamia to find a wife for Isaac. 

IV. The Journey of Jacob from Beer-sheba to Bethel, 
where God met him in a vision. Thence to Haran, in 
Mesopotamia, where he served his Uncle Laban fourteen 
years for his two daughters, and other years for wages. 
He then returned by way of Moimt Gilead, where he made 
a covenant with Laban, and Pejiiel, where he wrestled with 
the angel for a blessing. He dwelt successively at She c hem, 
Bethely Hebron, and Beer-sheba. . At last, by invitation of 
Joseph, the tribe removed to Egypt, where Pharaoh gave 
them a home in the land of Goshen. 



LESSON III.— GEOGRAPHY OF THE EXODUS 

I. Egypt, the Land of Bondage, i. The La7id. In 
the northeast corner of Africa, its outlook being on the 
Mediterranean Sea. The habitable country consists of a 
narrow ribbon of fertile soil along the banks of the Nile, 
about ten thousand five hundred square miles. 2. The 
River. The land was made, and is sustained, by the Nile. 
Across the desert sand in some unknown age came the 
river, dropping along its course a sediment of alluvial soil 
from the Abyssinian Mountains. To this deposit it adds 
yearly. From June till September the river rises, swollen 
by inland rains, and spreads a fresh coating of soil over the 
land. From October to April it gradually subsides. This 



78 



LESSONS FROM THE DESK 




annual inundation also takes the place of rain in keeping 
the country moist. Near its mouth the stream separates 
into two main and five lesser branches, spreading into a 
triangle which is called the Delta, from the Greek letter 
(a) of that name. 3. History. Owing to its fertility and 
climate it was early populated and powerful. Our earliest 
knowledge finds a high civilization already old. The 
sphinx, pyramids, and many temples seen to-day were 
ancient when Abraham saw them. From earliest times to 
the present, Egypt has been ambitious to control the affairs 
of Western Asia. 4. Places, Goshen, the district between 
the Nile and the head of the Red Sea ; Memphis^ the an- 
cient capital, on the lower Nile ; Thebes, the later capital, 
on the upper Nile ; On (now Heliopolis), the sacred city 



the' lands of the bible 79 

and seat of learning ; Rameses, in Goshen, the point of 
departure for the exodus. 

II. The Wilderness of Wandering. A great triangle 
with its apex to the south at Mount Sinai, its base a line 
eastward from Egypt to the foot of the Dead Sea, its sides 
marked by the two arms of the Red Sea, on the west the 
gulf of Suez, being continued by the depression across the 
isthmus where the canal now runs, on the east the gulf of 
Akaba, being continued northward by the natural gorge of 
the Arabah. It includes : i. The mountains of Sinai, a 
rugged group of rocky peaks, where the Law was given, 
known also as Mount Horeb. The exact peak where Moses 
talked with God is not known. Ancient tradition claims 
the honor for Jebel Musa, the mountain of Moses ; modern 
travelers generally favor a granite cliff, known as Ras es 
Sufsafeh, at whose foot lies a plain, er Rahah (the palm of 
the hand), sufficiently large for the gathering of Israel. 
2. The wilderness of Faran, where Israel spent the years 
of waiting, a sterile table-land north of Mount Sinai, shut 
in by rock walls, and scarred with dry torrent beds (Deut. 
I : 19). 3. The Negeb, or South Country, through which 
the mountains of Judea shelve off into the desert of Paran. 
4. The wilderness of Etha7n and, farther south, the wilder- 
ness of Sin, along the shore of the gulf of Suez. 5. The 
wilderness of Zin, the depression of the Arabah. 

III. Edom. a rough though rich district, including 
Mount Seir, south of the Dead Sea, and shelving off into 
the great Arabian Desert. Mount Seir became the dwelling 
of Esau and his descendants, and was known as Edom 
(**Red," the name applied to Esau). In the New Testa- 
ment it is slightly changed to Idumea. Mount Hor, where 
Aaron died, lies midway between the Dead Sea and gulf of 
Akaba. 

IV. MoAB. The country east of the Dead Sea, through 



8o LESSONS FROM THE DESK 

which Israel found entrance to the Promised Land. The 
mountains of Moab rise abruptly from the Dead Sea and 
Jordan Valley, forming a rough table land, shelving off to 
the Eastern desert. 

LESSON IV.— GEOGRAPHY OF THE PROMISED 
LAND 

I. Names, i. Ancient : Canaan, from the early inhab- 
itants before the Hebrews came ; Proinised Land, from the 
promise given to Abraham before he or his people pos- 
sessed it ; Land of Israel, after the conquest. 2. Modern : 
Palestine, derived from "Philistia," now the common 
name ; Holy Land, from its sacred associations. 

II. Location, on the southern part of the eastern coast 
of Mediterranean Sea. 

III. Map Construction. Draw perpendicular Hne to 
represent the Jordan Valley, one hundred and eighty miles 
in length. From the lower end extend toward the left at 
right angles a line one-half the perpendicular in length (rep- 
resenting ninety miles), and at the top a line one-third the 
base line in length (representing thirty miles). Connect 
the extremities for general coast line. Divide this last into 
thirds to locate Carmel promontory and the point of deepest 
depression in coast line. The district included will about 
equal the State of Massachusetts. 

IV. Character. Four great natural features conspicu- 
ously divide the land in parallel lines running north and 
south. I. The Coast Plain (or Maritime Plain), broken by 
the Carmel promontory at one point, makes a broad, fertile 
shore line. This is the richest portion of the land. 2. 
Divided from the plain only by a low line of foothills lies 
the Mountain Region, a high and rugged range which we 
have already seen to be a continuation from the Lebanon 



THE LANDS OF THE BIBLE 



yANCIENT- 

TCanaan 
{ Prom.L? 

I U? OF ISR. 
A\ODERN 

/Pal. 
I Holy L9 




P/a/Vi 



Region \ya//ey\ Land 



Range. 3. The Jordan Valley cuts this range on the east 
by a deep cleavage, containing in its upper part two fresh 
water lakes which drain by a winding torrent into a salt 
lake at the deepest (southern) end of the gorge. 4. The 
Eastern Table Land rises by abrupt cliffs beyond this gorge 
and shelves away to the desert. 

F 



82 LESSONS FROM THE DESK 

. The altitude of this little land varies from nine thousand 
feet above the Mediterranean Sea, at Mount Hermon, to 
thirteen hundred feet below it, at the Dead Sea. For this 
reason it embraces every climate and foliage from Alpine 
to tropical. From Mount Carmel, at the coast center, the 
eye can see in one sweep every gradation from snow-capped 
peaks and cedars to sunny plains and palms. At the time 
of Israel' s possession the whole land was richly cultivated, 
**a land flowing with milk and honey," in marked contrast 
to the surrounding deserts. 

LESSON v.— GEOGRAPHY OF THE PROMISED 
LAND (Continued) 

I. Plains, i. Acre, the upper section of the coast 
plain lying between the hills of Galilee and the Mediterra- 
nean Sea, about the ancient stronghold Accho (modern 
Acre) which the Israelites were unable to conquer and 
which later became the stronghold of the crusaders. 2. 
Sharon, the central section of the coast plain lying between 
Mount Ephraim and the sea. It is divided from the Plain 
of Acre by the bold promontory of Carmel. From six 
miles wide below Carmel, it broadens to twelve. 3. Philis- 
tia, the southern section of the coast plain and opposite 
Mount Judah. In its broadest part it measures thirty 
miles. It is a rich country and was the home of Israel's 
bitter enemy, the Philistines. 4. Esdraelon, a trian- 
gular plain between Mount Ephraim and Galilee, together 
with Jezreel, an eastward extension lying between Mount 
Gilboa and the hill of Moreh, affords a highway between 
the coast plain and the Jordan. It is the one great pass 
through the mountain range and has been the scene of 
many great battles. 5. Bashan, the great table-land to the 
east of Galilee. 



THE LANDS OF THE BIBLE 



83 



%900O 
1700. 




% ri^ T * 

Coast f 'i^'MnfafnVorda/kTabl^^ 
P/ain / Region Ya/Iey\ Land 



II. The Jordan Valley is the northern section of a 
great rent made in some early geologic age from the foot of 
the Lebanon Mountains to the Red Sea at the gulf of 
Akaba, broken only by one rocky barrier which crosses it 
south of the Dead Sea. From the highest source of the 
Jordan in Mount Hermon, seventeen hitfidred feet above 
the Mediterranean level, the gorge descends rapidly to the 



84 LESSONS FROM THE DESK 

Upper Jorda7i Valley, a marshy plain containing Lake 
Merom (or Huleh), at about sea level ; thence to the Sea 
of Galilee, or Tiberias, or Gennesaret, six hundred and 
eighty feet below the Mediterranean and walled in by a 
circle of cliffs three hundred feet high ; thence into a trop- 
ical jungle, the Lower Jordan Valley, known to the Arabs 
as the Ghor (or depression), which becomes less fertile and 
more arid till in the plain north of the Dead Sea, where 
once **the cities of the plain" stood, it is a scene of deso- 
lation. There the river loses itself in the Dead Sea at the 
foot of the gorge, one thousand three hundred feet below 
the Mediterranean, with no outlet save by evaporation, 
which goes on rapidly in the intense heat. 

III. Mountains. It is a mountain country. Some of 
the most famous heights are the Lebations, the mountains 
of the cedars (Isa. 14 : 8), Herjnon, the snow-capped moun- 
tain (Ps. 133 : 3), Carmel, the mountain of Elijah ( i Kings 
18), Tabor, the ancient fortress (Judg. 4 : 6), Gilboa, the 
mountains of cursing and blessing (Josh. 8 : 33), Zion, 
mountain of battle (i Sam. 31), Ebal and Gerisim, the 
the holy mountain (Ps. 2 : 6), Olivet, the mount of the 
Saviour (Luke 22 : 39), Nebo, the mountain of Moses 
(Deut. 32 : 49, 50). 

LESSON VI.— GEOGRAPHY OF THE TRIBES OF 
ISRAEL 

I. The Twelve Tribes. The first division of the land 
was among the twelve tribes at the time of the conquest. 
Their territories are of irregular shapes and not well de- 
fined, but for convenience of memory we may learn them 
in four groups. i. The three eastern tribes, whose posses- 
sions lay east of Jordan. Traveling north from the River 
Anion, which marked the borders of Moab, we find Reu- 



THE LANDS OF THE BIBLE 




ben, east of the upper half of the Dead Sea ; Gad, east of 
the Ghor ; and the half -tribe of Manasseh, east of the Sea 
of Galilee and upper Jordan Valley, in Bashan. (Drill.) 



86 LESSONS FROM THE DESK 

2. The four southern tribes occupying Mount Judah, the 
plain of Philistia, and the Negeb. Simeon, from the foot 
of the Dead Sea to the Mediterranean ; Judah, from the 
whole coast of the Dead Sea to the Mediterranean ; Benja- 
min, a little tract on the northern part of Mount Judah ; 
Dan, the northern end of Philistia. (Drill on four south- 
ern tribes.) 

3. The two central tribes in Mount Ephraim and the 
plain of Sharon, Ephraim to the south, and the other half- 
tribe of Manasseh to the north. (Drill on eastern, south- 
ern, and central tribes.) 

4. The four northern tribes. Issachar, in the plains of 
Esdraelon and Jezreel and the hills to the northeast ; Zebu- 
Ion, in the central hills of Galilee ; then Asher, on the east, 
and Naphtali, on the west, divide the north. (Drill on 
four northern tribes and all four groups. ) 

II. Places. The twenty places most prominent in tribal 
history are : Nine cities of the conquest : i. Gilgal, the 
first camp after crossing Jordan ; 2. Jericho, the city of 
palm trees, whose walls fell down before Joshua' s army ; j. 
Ai, the place of defeat after Achan' s sin ; 4. Shiloh, the 
home of the tabernacle ; j. Kirjath-Jearim, later the rest- 
ingplace of the ark ; 6, Gibeon, the first to seek treaty with 
Israel (Josh. 9) ; 7. Beth-horon, the great battlefield ; 8. 
Timnath, the burial place of Joshua ; g. Jerusalem, or Je bus, 
held by the Jebusites until conquered by David. Six cities 
of refuge, three east of Jordan : 10. Bezer, in Reuben ; 11, 
Ramoth-Gilead, in Gad; 12, Golan, in Manasseh; three 
west of Jordan : ij, Kadesh, in Naphtali ; 14, Sheche?7t, 
in Ephraim ; 75. Hebron (called also Kirjath-Arba), the 
city of Caleb's conquest, in Judah. Five great cities of the 
Philistines, 16. Gaza, ly. Ashkelon, 18. Ashdod, ig. Gath, 
20, Ekron. 

III. Brooks, sometimes called rivers, though scarcely 



THE LANDS OF THE BIBLE 



87 



deserving the name. The Kishon, rising in Mount Gilboa, 
flowing through the plain of Esdraelon at the foot of Car- 
mel and emptying into the Mediterranean. The Zered, di- 
viding between Moab and Edom, flowing northwest into 
the foot of the Dead Sea. The Arnon, dividing between 
Moab and Gilead (or, in the conquest, Reuben), flowing 
west into the Dead Sea. The Jabbok, rising in Mount 
Gilead and flowing w^est into the Jordan. The Jamtuk (or 
Yarmuk, known also as the Hieromax), draining the plain 
of Bashan and emptying into the Jordan a little south of 
the Sea of Galilee. 

LESSON VII.— GEOGRAPHY OF THE KINGDOM 




88 LESSONS FROM THE DESK 

I. The Empire. The tribes became united under Da- 
vid and Solomon, and a great empire was formed, reaching 
from the river of Egypt to the Euphrates^ and including 
the conquered and subject States of Syria^ on the north, 
Edo7n, on the south, and Moaby Ammon, and Midian, on 
the east, and Philistia at the southwest. 

II. The Two Kingdoms. At Solomon's death the 
northern tribes revolted from his son, and the land was di- 
vided by an irregular line drawn from the head of the Dead 
Sea to the coast of Joppa. The northern kingdom was 
known as Israel, and the southern as Judah, Thus weak- 
ened the empire fell to pieces. The subject States gained 
independence and were soon able to oppress their former 
masters. 

III. The Syrian Oppression. Syria especially became 
a bitter and powerful enemy to Israel, gradually appropri- 
ating her territory and confining her at last to the narrow 
limits of Mount Ephrai7n, while at the same time the 
southern kingdom was being crowded by her neighbors 
into Mount Judah. There were periods of prosperity when 
Israel or Judah would gain some of the lost dominion, but 
the end was assured by the rise of the Assyrian empire. 

IV. The Assyrian Oppression. From their distant 
home on the Tigris the Assyrians had dominated the whole 
country yr^M the Persian Gulf and the Tigris to the Medi- 
terranean Sea. After bitter warfare the Syrians were con- 
quered and Dainascus taken. Israel and Judah were com- 
pelled to pay tribute. At last, in 721 B. c, for constant 
rebellion, the Assyrians crushed Israel and carried her peo- 
ple away captive. Thus the kingdom of Israel was forever 
removed from the map. 

V. The Chaldean and Persian Dominion. The 
Chaldeans, who conquered the Assyrians and succeeded 
them in power, in 587 b. c. destroyed Jerusalem and car- 



THE LANDS OF THE BIBLE 89 

ried many of her people to Babylon in captivity. After 
seventy years the Chaldean empire had fallen before the 
Persians, who allowed the captives to return and rebuild 
Jerusalem. But the country was ruled for the conquerors, 
not for the Jews. 

VI. Places. The twenty most prominent places in the 
history of the kingdom are : 7. Gibeah^ the capital of 
Saul ; 2. Bethlehem, birthplace of David ; j. Hebron, 
David's first capital for seven and one-half years ; 4, 
Jerusalem, capital of David's empire and of Judah ; j. 
Joppa, the seaport ; 6. Bethel, where Jeroboam established 
idolatrous worship for Israel ; 7. Shechein, first capital of 
Israel ; 8. Samaria, later capital of Israel ; p. Jezreel, in 
Esdraelon, a stronghold and favorite residence of the kings 
of Israel ; /a Aphek, where Ahab won a great victory 
over Syria ; 11. Rainoth-Gilead, where Syria defeated the 
allied forces of Judah and Israel ; 12, Bethshean, fortress 
on Israel's frontier in the vale of Jezreel ; /j. Megiddo, 
where the gallant Josiah fell, resisting the passage of the 
Egyptians, and thenceforward a synonym for sorrow ; 14. 
Dothan, a village around which Elisha saw angel armies ; 
75. Sidon and 16. Tyre, the principal cities of the Phoeni- 
cians ; 77. Damascus, the great capital of Syria ; 18, 
Nineveh, the capital of Assyria ; ig. Babylon, the capital 
of Chaldea ; 20. Susa, or Shushan, the capital of Persia. 

LESSON VIII. —GEOGRAPHY OF THE GOSPELS 

I. Five Provinces. Palestine in the time of Christ 
was under Roman dominion and was divided into five 
provinces. West of Jordan were Judea, Samaria, and 
Galilee ; east of Jordan were Perea, from the Arnon 
northward to the point opposite the southern borders of 
Galilee, and the Bashan district east of Galilee, includ- 



90 



LESSONS FROM THE DESK 




PLACES 

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3 Bethany 

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ing Gaidanitis, Iturea, Batanea, Atiranitis, and Track- 
onitis, and known as the tetrarchy of Philip, At the 
birth of Jesus these five provinces were ruled for Rome 
by Herod the Great, at whose death the kingdom was di- 
vided into four parts, each ruled by a tetrarch, Archelaus 
ruled Judea and Samaria, Antipas ruled Galilee and Pe- 
rea, Philip had the district east of Galilee, and Lysanias 
the district of Abilene on the north. When Archelaus was 
deposed, a. d. 6, the province of Judea, including Idu- 



THE LANDS OF THE BIBLE 9I 

mea, Judea, and Samaria, was ruled from Rome by a 
governor or procurator. This was the office held by Pon- 
tius Pilate at the time of Jesus' death. 

II. Peoples. Judea and Galilee were peopled by Jews. 
The tetrarchy of Philip was Gentile. Perea was mainly 
Jewish with some Gentile cities and villages. The Saviari- 
tans were the descendants partly of the remnant of Israel, 
and partly of the strangers whom the Assyrians had 
brought there to take the place of the Israelites, whom 
they had carried away captive. They claimed to be true 
worshipers of Jehovah, but were not acknowledged by the 
Jews, who w^ould have nothing to do with them. In the 
days of Nehemiah they built on Mount Gerizim a temple 
of their own to rival that of the Jews at Jerusalem. They 
were regarded by the Jews as worse than other Gentiles. 

III. Places. The twenty places to be remembered in 
Gospel history are : /. Bethlehejn, the birthplace of Jesus ; 
2. Jerusalem, the place of crucifixion ; j. Bethany, on an 
eastern spur of Olivet, the village of the Christian home ; 
4. JerichOy the city of Zaccheus and Bartimeus. j. Em- 
mauSy the village of the epiphany ; 6. Sychar, in the plain 
at the foot of Mount Ebal, near Jacob' s Well, where Jesus 
preached to the Samaritans ; 7. Mount Gerizim, the place 
of the Samaritan temple ; 8. Nazareth, on the hills of Gal- 
ilee, overlooking Esdraelon, the home of Jesus for thirty 
years ; p. Cana, northeast from Nazareth, the scene of Je- 
sus' first miracle ; 10. Nain, on the north slope of the hill 
of Moreh, where the widow' s son was raised from the dead ; 
II, Hattin, the traditional ** mount of Beatitudes," where 
Jesus preached the ''Sermon on the Mount" ; 12. Tiberias, 
Herod's city on the west shore of the Sea of Galilee, the 
only one now remaining of the nine cities which encircled 
the lake in Jesus' time ; ij, Gennesaret, a fertile valley 
opening upon the west shore of the Sea of Galilee, north 



92 LESSONS FROM THE DESK 

of Tiberias ; 14. Capernaum, the later home of Jesus, on 
the northern shore of Gahlee, which shared with /j. Cho- 
razin and 16. Bethsaida, near the influx of Jordan, the 
judgment pronounced by Jesus in Matt 11 ; the exact loca- 
tion of these three towns is not known ; 77. Gadara, the 
chief city to the southeast of the Sea of Galilee, which 
gave its name to the neighborhood, and together with 18. 
Gergesa, is associated with the healing of the fierce demo- 
niac ; ig, CcEsarea-Philippi, at the foot of Hermon, Philip's 
capital, and marked by a visit of Jesus and, perhaps, the 
vicinity of the transfiguration ; 20. The region of Tyre and 
Sidon, Phoenicia, where Jesus blessed the Syro-Phoenician 
woman. 



LESSON IX.— GEOGRAPHY OF THE EARLY 
CHURCH 

In the Old Testament the great ruling powers lived in the 
East, beyond the Euphrates ; in New Testament times the 
world was ruled from Rome in the West. The map of the 
book of Acts lies northwestward from Jerusalem to Rome 
(distant about one thousand five hundred miles). 

I. Ten Cities of the Earliest Activity of the 
Church. i. Jerusalem, where the church waited for and 
received the Holy Spirit (Acts i : 4, and 2 : 1-4) ; 2, Sama- 
ria, the second step in the plan prescribed by the Master 
(Acts I : 8). Herod had rebuilt this ancient capital of Is- 
rael, calling it Sebaste (now known as Sebastiyeh). The 
remnants of his splendid colonnades still attest its grandeur 
and importance. Philip's ministry there was interrupted 
by a commission to take the road to j. Gasa, to meet the 
Ethiopian, after which meeting he was found in 4. Azotus, 
the ancient Philistine city of Ashdod. 

Three cities are brought into prominence by Peter's min- 



THE LANDS OF THE BIBLE 



93 



10 C/T/E5 

1 Jerusalem 

2 5AMARtA. 

3 Oaza 

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8 Tarsus 

9 Damascus 
/o Antioch 



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istry. At J. Lydda, he healed ^neas. Thence he went 
by request of the brethren to 6. Joppa, where he raised Dor- 
cas and, of greater importance, received his vision call- 
ing him to the mission to the Gentiles. /. CcBsarea was 
the point where his Gentile work began with the gift of the 
Spirit to the household of the Roman Cornelius. Caesarea 
was the seat of the Roman government for the province 
of Judea. 

8. Tarsus, in the province of Cilicia, in Asia Minor, is 



94 LESSONS FROM THE DESK 

notable as the birthplace of Saul, later called Paul, the 
great apostle to the Gentiles, g, Damascus, whose history 
as the Syrian capital had been so intimately bound with 
the kingdom of Israel, now is memorable as the scene of 
Paul' s conversion. lo. Afitioch, the metropolis of Syria in 
Roman times, situated on the Orontes River, about sixteen 
miles from its influx into the Mediterranean, became the 
seat of the earliest missionary church. There the followers 
of Jesus were first known as Christians ; there the Spirit 
commanded the ordination of the first foreign missionaries ; 
and thence the work spread westward through Asia Minor 
and into Europe. 

II. Asia Minor, the district lying between the Mediter- 
ranea7iy jEgean, and Black (or Etixzne) Seas, was the first 
scene of missionary operations from the Antioch church. 
It comprises fotirtecjt provmces most of which are named 
in the sacred narrative, i. Mysia, 2, Lydia, and j. Carta, 
border on the ^gean Sea, and with the inland province of 

4. P/irygia, were known to the Romans as ''Asia.'" It is 
to this district, not to the continent, that the name applies 
in the New Testament. Three border on the Black Sea : 

5. Bithy7iia, 6, Paphlagonia, and 7. Pontus. Three bor- 
der on the Mediterranean : 8, Lycia, g. Painphylia, and 

10, Cilicia. Five are inland, Phrygia (already named), 

11, Galatia, 12. Cappadocia, ij, Lycaonia, and 14. 
Pisidia. 

Drill : What three border on ^gean ? Three on Black ? 
Three on Mediterranean ? Five inland ? Which four 
known as Asia ? 

III. Witnesses to Pentecost. Sixteen places are 
named in Acts 2 : 9-1 1, from which there were representa- 
tives present on the day of Pentecost. Four were in the 
far East ; Parthia, Media, Elain, and Mesopotamia. Then 
Judea, is named, and five of the Asia Minor provinces : 



THE LANDS OF THE BIBLE 95 

Cappadocia, Pontiis, Asia, Phrygia, and Painphylia. Three 
in Africa : Egypt, Libya, Cyreiie, Rome, then, in the far 
West, Crete, in the midst of the sea, and Arabia in the 
desert. Thus with Jerusalem as center, a district over 
three thousand miles wide, lying in three continents, be- 
came witnesses to the power of God in his church. 

LESSON X.— GEOGRAPHY OF PAUL'S JOURNEYS 

No record has been preserved of much of Paul's jour- 
neyings (2 Cor. 1 1 : 23-27). In four important journeys, 
however, we may follow him. 

L Paul's First Missionary Journey. From the home 
church at Antioch in Syria Paul and Barnabas went to the 
seaport Seleucia, at the mouth of the Orontes, and sailed 
to the isle of Cyprus, which had been the home of Barna- 
bas, and was visited, perhaps, for that reason. Landing at 
Salamis, they traversed the island to Paphos. Thence they 
crossed to the shore of Asia Minor stopping in Perga, of 
Pamphylia, climbed the mountains to Ajitioch i7i Pisidia, 
where Paul preached the sermon recorded in Acts 13. 
Here the Jews stirred up persecution against them, and 
they went eastward to Ico7iium, Lystra, where the people 
offered them first worship and afterward violence, and 
Derbe. They then retraced their steps through Lystra, 
Ico7iium, Antioch i7i Pisidia, Perga, adding the seacoast 
town of Attalia, whence they sailed back to A7ttioch, 
[Name the 7ti7ie cities.'] 

n. Paul's Second Missionary Journey. Setting out 
by land Paul and Silas passed through the corner of Syria 
between Antioch and the frontier where they passed into 
Cilicia, confirming the churches. They called at Derbe 
and Lystra, where they gained a new companion in the 
person of Timothy. The cities visited in the next stages 



96 



LESSONS FROM THE DESK 




of the journey are not named. We only know that the 
missionaries preached through Phrygia and Galatia, and 
were then hurried on by the Holy Spirit to the coast of the 
^gean Sea at Troas, There Paul beheld the vision which 
called them into Macedonia^ the upper province of the 
peninsula of which Greece, or Achaia, forms the lower end. 



THE LANDS OF THE BIBLE 97 

Here they landed at Neapolis, preached and were impris- 
oned at Philippiy where the conversions of Lydia and the 
jailer are remarkable, and passed through AinphipoHs, 
Apolloiiiay and Thessalonica, at which place, in spite of 
persecution, a church was established which is notable as 
receiving the first two epistles written by Paul. Berea, the 
next stop, is remembered as the place of Bible study. At 
Athens Paul preached his great sermon on Mars Hill, but 
failed to make a deep impression, and departed for Corinth. 
Thence he sailed to Ephesus for a brief visit, and then to 
CcEsarea, whence he paid a hurried visit to Jerusalem and 
returned to Antioch. [Drill on places of the journey.] 

HI. Paul's Third Missionary Journey. After an 
extended tour through Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening 
the churches, Paul came to Ephesus, where he labored for 
two years, one of the most important epochs of his minis- 
try. He then spent some time revisiting former scenes of 
labor in Macedonia and Greece where, we gather from his 
letters, he paid an important visit to Corinth. From there 
he passed overland to Philippi and sailed homeward, stop- 
ping at Troas and Assos. Night anchorages were made in 
navigating the Greek islands at Mitylene (home of the 
poetess Sappho), Chios (reputed birthplace of Homer), 
Samos (once the home of the philosoper Pythagoras), Tro- 
gyllium, and Miletus, where Paul took tender farewell of 
the Ephesian elders, Coos, and Rhodes. At Patara, a port 
of Lycia, they found a ship which carried them to Tyre, 
the great Phoenician city, Ptole7nais, the ancient Accho, 
now known as Acre, and finally to Ccesareay whence they 
went up to Jerusalem. 

IV. Paul's Voyage as Prisoner to Rome. At- 
tacked by a mob of Jews in the temple, Paul was rescued 
by the Roman soldiers and carried for safety to Ccesarea. 
There he was kept in prison for two years. He appealed 

G 



98 LESSONS FROM THE DESK 

for trial at Caesar's judgment seat at Rome, and so was car- 
ried at imperial, expense on, perhaps, the greatest of his 
missionary journeys. His vessel touched at Sidon, passed 
under Cyprus and came to Myra, in Lycia, where they 
changed ships. A storm drove them to Fair Havens, on 
the south coast of Crete. Leaving port against Paul' s ad- 
vice, the vessel was tossed for many days till wrecked on 
the island of Melitay or Malta. Then, by another ship, 
calling at Syracuse and Rhegiuin, they landed at Puteoli, 
near Naples, and proceeded to Rome, 



THE LANDS OF THE BIBLE 



SECOND SERIES 

A t^ALESTINE PILGRIMAGE 

It is intended in this course to conduct the class as if it 
formed a company of tourists through the land, familiar- 
izing them with the present aspect of the country and con- 
necting with each locality the significant historical events 
and changes which different ages have brought. In this 
way the land will be found often to explain, and even to 
account for, history. The author visited Palestine in 1897, 
traveling on horseback and camping for a month among 
the sacred sites, and presents it as he saw it. 

Book Helps. — "The Historical Geography of the Holy 
Land," by George Adam Smith. Bsedeker's "Guide Book 
to Palestine and Syria." 



LESSON I.— THE REASON AND THE ROUTE 



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I. The Reason for Our Interest in the Land of 
Palestine, i. Nature of the land, (a) Variety, In an 
area little greater than that of Massachusetts is found every 
climate, from perpetual snow (Mt. Hermon) to tropical 
heat (Jordan Valley), each with its natural product, from 
cedar to palm. This is due to abrupt changes in altitude 
(nine thousand feet above to one thousand three hundred 
feet below sea level). Climbing steep mountains or de- 
scending into deep valleys one experiences in a few hours 
all the changes of temperature and scene to be met in 
many weeks of travel in more level countries, (b) Beauty, 
which is due to the peculiar atmosphere produced from 
sea, mountain, and desert. The great artist, Tissot, says : 
*'The absence of trees and the barren contour of stony 
hills is compensated for by the brilliance of the color. The 
hills which in a photograph look so black, are of most del- 
icate pinks or yellows, taking shadows of soft purple." In 
the spring the wild flowers are remarkable for abundance. 



I02 LESSONS FROM THE DESK 

variety, and brilliance, (c) People. While the present 
Arab population is a different race from the people of Bible 
times, it comes from the same Semitic stock and exhibits 
many of the same customs and modes of life. 

2. Antiquity. The dawn of history found this land al- 
ready populated, {ci) We can trace the history back six 
thoiisa7id years. Relics of the times of the patriarchs (four 
thousand), David (three thousand), Romans (two thou- 
sand), Crusades (one thousand), are mingled everywhere. 
Ruins one thousand years old are modern in Palestine, (b) 
The Primitive Customs of the people give it an atmosphere 
of antiquity which its modern history is too unimportant to 
dispel. 

3. History, {a) From its locatio7i, a little strip of land 
between the sea and desert, it was the necessary highway 
for migration, commerce, and war between three continents. 
(b) This made it the battlefield of the old world. Here 
met and fought Canaanites, Egyptians, Elamites, Chal- 
deans, Assyrians, Syrians, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Sara- 
cens, Crusaders, {c) Its coitquerors have been the world's 
great generals. Chedorlaomer, Joshua, Sargon, Alexander, 
Pompey, Saladin, Richard the Lion Heart, Napoleon, each 
marshaled here his victorious armies. It is rich in story. 

4. Sacred associations surpass all others. Because God 
chose this spot for his revelations, especially through Jesus, 
the land appeals to our {a) afi^ection. We cannot but love 
the haunts of Jesus, and places from which the world has 
been blessed. (U) Interest, as helping us to understand the 
words spoken by people who lived there, {c) Intelligence. 
We are shocked at the ignorance and idolatry that has led 
multitudes to reverence the place as holy. This is the 
more revolting since few of the places that are so much 
reverenced are anything but stupid impostures. 

II, The Route. From Neiv York we travel east, verv 



THE LANDS OF THE BIBLE IO3 

slightly south, about six tJionsaiid miles. We first cross the 
Atlantic Ocea?i, three thotisand five hundred miles to 
Gibraltary known to the ancients as the Pillars of Her- 
cules. Here we enter the Mediterra7iea7i Sea, at the far 
end of which, two thousa7id five hundred 7niles, lies Pales- 
ti7ie. Proceeding one thousand 77iiles eastward from Gib- 
raltar, we may curve a little northward from our course to 
visit Ro7ne, our first introduction to Bible lands. Here 
Paul was 77iartyredy A, D. 68, Of ancient Rome, once 
proud mistress of the world, we remember that she was 
founded /jj B. C, when the kingdom of Israel was fall- 
ing to the Assyrians and Isaiah was preaching in the then 
ancient Jerusalem. Taking steamer again we sail three 
days, one thousa7id 7niles, southeast to Egypt, a land full of 
Bible memories : visit of Abraha77i ; rule of Joseph ; 
bondage of Israel ; exodus U7ider Moses ; for five hundred 
years ally, enemy, a7id te7npter of the Jewish ki7igdo7n ; 
last, but not least, the refuge of the i7tfa7it Jesus, The 
earliest knowledge of Egypt finds it already hoary with 
monuments of antiquity, bearing witness to advanced civil- 
ization and arts. It is a most fascinating country to the 
Bible student, but our goal is yet beyond. We must take 
ship again for five himdred 77iiles, northeast, till we drop 
anchor in front ot Jaffa, called by the natives, Yafa, and 
in the '^\\i\^ Joppa, the main seaport of the Holy Land. 

LESSON II.— VIEW OF THE LAND 

Before landing, let us get a general view from the 
steamer deck. 

I. Character of the Land. Beyond the white 
coast line, stretching in a long sweep north and south, we 
look over a broad, green plain, known as (i) Maritz7ne 
{or coast) Plain, Beyond this we trace a range of low, 



I04 



LESSONS FROM THE DESK 




1700 



HARACTER 



LmATElKS'^fe^ 



ULTIVATIONrrrcnwcPa 



HANGEf-Cxcr 




ragged hills, known as the (2) Shephelah, or loo thills. 
Back of these we notice the great wall of rugged (3) Moun- 
tains. These prevent our farther view ; but if we could 
look over these we should see that beyond the mountains 
lies a deep gorge cleaving apart the cliffs that are on each 
side. This depression is most remarkable. Some great 
earthquake before historic times split a great rift from the 
Lebanons to the gulf of Akaba, another throwing a ridge 
across it just below where the Dead Sea now lies. The 
Arabs call it the Ghor, or depression. We know it (4) as 
i\iQ Jordan Valley, The Jordan rises one thousand seven 
hundred feet above the level of the Mediterranean in Mt. 
Hermon. Falling rapidly into this valley it unites with 
other streams in a marshy plain, and forms Lake Huleh, or 
the waters of Merom, at about sea-level. Thence the 
Jordan River races southward ten miles into the Sea of 
Galilee, six hundred and eighty feet below y then by a wind- 
ing, turbulent course sixty-five miles farther, into the Dead 
Sea, at the foot of the cleft, one thousand three hundred 
feet below the Mediterranean level. There is no outlet ex- 
cept by evaporation, which goes on rapidly in that torrid 



THE LANDS OF THE BIBLE IO5 

basin, leaving the waters so dense with brine that a man 
cannot sink in it. Beyond the gorge the cliffs rise abruptly 
to form the (5) Eastern table land, where the great (6) 
Arabian Desert begins. 

Drill. Name six features of the land that run in par- 
allel lines north and south. Give the source and three 
lakes of the Jordan, with their levels. 

II. Climate. The year is divided into the wet and 
dry seasons. The wet season begins with the ' ' early * * or 
'' former rains,'' in October, The dry ground softens and 
plowing begins. The drought is over. Throughout the 
winter rain is frequent. In March and April come the 
^* latter rains'' (Deut. 11 : 14), copious showers to fill 
the springs and soak the ground and drench the maturing 
grain before the summer heat. From April to October no 
rain falls (save unusual exceptions), the ground parches, 
and vegetation withers. The night dews and morning mists 
alone give refreshing to the soil and atmosphere. Most of 
the smaller streams dry up, and the country assumes a bar- 
ren look. May is the best month for a visit, when the lat- 
ter rains are over, but their effect is still felt and the country 
is green and beautiful, the harvests ripening, and the wild 
flowers in rich bloom. If the early or the latter rains fail 
drought and famine follow (Joel 2 : 23, 24). 

III. Cultivation. In the plains wheat, barley, and 
millet are grown. The farmers' tools are most primitive 
and his labor hard, with small return. In the mountains 
the grape and the olive are the principal products. These 
are cultivated in terraces made by hand at great labor. 
Other fruits are the fig, apricot, almond, walnut, carob, 
pomegranate. Oranges and lemons form an important 
product (three hundred and thirty-eight thousand boxes ex- 
ported to England, Austria, and Russia in the season of 

1897-98). 



io6 



LESSONS FROM THE DESK 



IV. Changes Have Taken Place Since Bible Times. 
Often devastated by war, and long under the withering 
hand of the Moslem, the country is seen to-day only in its 
essential features of hills and valleys. Forests have disap- 
peared and hills have been denuded of olive groves and 
vineyards. Stately cities that once filled the land are gone, 
the few that remain having only a shadow of their former 
greatness. Coininerce and enterprise have been driven 
away and the land that was once coveted as rich and pros- 
perous is now poor. The people are a less noble race, and 
in many parts of the land content to live in miserable deg- 
radation. In some places (Jaffa, Jerusalem, etc.) mixed 
foreign populations from all parts of the world remind one 
that the land is the goal of pilgrimages for three religions 
and many sects. 

LESSON III.— SHARON AND MOUNT JUDAH 




I. Landing at Joppa, the city of Peter's vision (Acts 
lo : 9-16), in long boats rowed by Arabs (the landing often 



THE LANDS OF THE BIBLE lO/ 

impossible in rough weather), we find a curious city of 
twenty-five thousand people of all nations, many stranded 
pilgrims, as well as native Arabs. The filth of the city is 
atoned for by its fine surroundings of orange orchards. 
Refusing the railroad that runs to Jerusalem, we mount our 
horses and begin our journey. 

II. The Plain of Sharon, which w^e cross, from six 
miles wide at the foot of Carmel has grown to twelve here ; 
farther south it widens to thirty, and is known as Philistia, 
a rolling country, green with standing grain and gemmed 
with poppies ; no wonder that Philistines and Israelites 
fought for it. To the south were the five great cities of the 
Philistines : Gaza, Askalon, Ashdod, Ekron, Gath (loca- 
tion uncertain), and many lesser ones. North lay the Ro- 
man capital, Ccesarea, with its splendid artificial harbor 
(now in ruins). As we halt near the Shephelah, we note 
where once stood the group of cities near the mouth of the 
vale of Ajalon, leading down from the mountains. These 
formed the Hebrew outposts on the borders of the Philis- 
tines, now represented by Lydda, where Peter healed 
Eneas (Acts 9 : 32-35), and said to be the scene of con- 
flict between St. George and the Dragon. The ruins of 
the church in honor of St. George remain. Three miles to 
the south is the more modern Ramleh (a. d. 700), with its 
great tower overlooking the country, a favorite camping- 
ground for travelers. 

III. The Mountains of Judea, up which we climb by 
the fine modern carriage road, are in the springtime cov- 
ered with masses of trailing vines and wild flowers of every 
hue, soon to fade and leave the hills barren. Terraced 
vineyards and olive groves cover many of the hillsides. 

The villages are of stone, and clustered on the hill 
slopes, (i) Height. The mountains are very rough, of 
limestone, averaging two thousand four hundred feet in 



I08 LESSONS FROM THE DESK 

height. (2) Strength, They form a great fortress, difficult to 
attack. They were often passed by invaders of the rest of 
the land as too difficult, and were never taken until the 
surrounding country was in possession of the enemies. (3) 
Influence, Shut into narrow valleys, no broad horizons 
tempting thought or step to wander, the people would be- 
come clannish, conservative, narrow. Such became the 
(4) Character of Judah as contrasted with that of Israel. 
This was God' s strong room for conserving truth. 

IV. Divisions. Roughly speaking, the mountains of 
Judea form a rocky plateau about fifty-five miles north and 
south, from Bethel to Beer-sheba, by about thirty miles east 
and west. Drawing a line east and west a little south of 
Hebron, we shall mark off the wilderness of Beer-sheba 
(Gen. 21 : 14), called (i) the Negeb, or south country, an 
arid stretch of broad steppes by which the highlands de- 
scend gradually to the desert. 

Dropping a line a little to the east of Bethel, Jerusalem, 
Bethlehem, and Hebron, we divide the remaining district 
into two nearly equal parts, each about thirty-five by fif- 
teen miles. The western division we may call the (2) hill 
country of Judea (Josh. 21 : 11 ; Luke i : 39). It is the 
crown of the range and the part most capable of cultiva- 
tion. It is still a fair scene, though not what it was in its 
glory, when every hillside was richly terraced with vines, 
olives, and fig trees, and the deep glades were filled with 
gardens. Portions of it thus cultivated now give one a vis- 
ion of past fruitfulness (Gen. 49 : 10-12 ; comp. Isa. 7 : 
23-25), especially in the glades about Bethlehem and He- 
bron. Near the latter are still rich vineyards where once 
the grapes of Eshcol grew (Num. 13 : 23, 24). (3) East of 
our dividing line lies the wilderness of Judea, a chaos of 
crumpled ridges, wild ravines, and awful abysses, seared 
and scarred by sun and tempest. From its western border, 



THE LANDS OF THE BIBLE IO9 

there is a gradual shading off from the fertile lands, becom- 
ing wilder and more desolate, till it falls by wild corries 
and bare precipices into the gloomy sink-hole of the Dead 
Sea and lower Jordan Valley. 

In this region we have memories of (a) David, Then 
as now the region was the haunt of outlaws (i Sam. 22 : 
2). Here the great king learned strategy and faith. Note 
language of Ps. 31 : 2, 3 ; 71 : 3. (b) Prophets. Here 
they found their imagery of judgment, and were alone with 
God (<?. g., Jeremiah, Amos, John Baptist), (c) Jesus, the 
site of whose temptation is fixed by tradition (without war- 
rant) on Mount Quarantania, a bald cliff above Jericho. 
{a) Early Christians. Hither, when persecuted they fled 
for hiding. Here they came to pray, and dwelt as anchor- 
ites in many of the countless caves. The convent of Mar 
Saba in the Kidron gorge, near the Dead Sea, is well worth 
visiting. It was founded by Saint Saba in A. D. 450. 

LESSON IV.— JERUSALEM THE ANCIENT 

I. Associations. (Have class read Ps. 48.) Jerusalem, 
the Holy City (Isa. 52 : i), the city of the Great King, 
(Ps. 48 : 2 ; Matt. 5 : 35), the subject of more prayers and 
holy meditations than any other place on earth, the goal of 
countless pilgrims, the scene of many a fierce battle, the 
place where man' s sin and God' s grace culminated in the 
cross of Christ, lies before us with its tawny walls. 
Whether after its many destructions this may be called the 
ancient city or not, we approach with reverent interest the 
city now called El Kuds (the holy). 

II. Valleys. The city stands upon a rocky height cut 
off on three sides from the surrounding country by deep 
gorges : i. On the east, the gorge of Brook Kidron, or 
valley of Jehoshaphat, runs nearly north and south ; 2. 



no LESSONS FROM THE DESK 



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winding so as to bound successively the southwesty west, 
and south, lies the valley of Hinnom, or of the son of 
Hinnoin, or Gehenna, or Tophet. The lower part of this 
valley came to be regarded as a place of defilement because 
of the horrid rites of Moloch worship (2 Chron. 28 : 3 ; 
Jer. 7 : 31-33) ; 3. the rocky mass thus bounded is un- 
equally divided by the Tyropoeon, or valley of the Cheese- 
7nongers, into several distinct hills. All of these valleys 
have been raised far above their former depth by debris, 
the deposit in the Kidron being fully thirty-eight feet deep. 

III. Hills, i. Zion, the original city site, the ** upper'* 
or *' David' s city. ' * 2. y^^r^, the "lower city." 3. Beze- 
tha, the "new city," spreading northward in every period 
of prosperity. 4. Moriah, the temple site. 5. Op he I, the 
southern slope below Moriah. 

IV. Surrounding Hills, i. To the north, separated 



THE LANDS OF THE BIBLE I I I 

by a shallow valley, Mount Scopus, where Titus' army en- 
camped against the doomed city ; 2. east of Kidron Valley, 
and running south from Scopus, the mount of Olives, 
really a range with three peaks ; 3. a little farther south, 
the mount of Offense, so called from 2 Kings 23 : 13, 14 ; 
4. across the valley and south of the city rises the hill oj 
Evil Counsel, so-called from a tradition that here Caiaphas 
gave his counsel to kill Jesus. On the slope of this hill 
tradition locates the field of blood (Acts i : 19). These 
four hills form a crescent overlooking the city. 

V. History, i. Early Period. The origin of the city 
is lost in antiquity. The earliest inhabitants of the land of 
whom we have any knowledge were the A7norites and Hit- 
tites, Ezek. 16:3 refers to these as founders of Jerusa- 
lem. It is named in cuneiform documents Uru-Salim 
(Uru or eri, city, Salim, peace), the city of Peace. It 
seems to have been a high place where the God of Peace 
was worshiped. There Abraham, returning from battle, 
paid tithes to Melchizedek, the royal priest of the most 
high God (Gen. 14 : 17-20). The Tel el-Amarna tablets 
(Egyptian files of letters from Asiatic rulers before the ex- 
odus) contain a plea from King Ebed-Tob, of Uru-Salim, 
asking help, and later recording the fall of the city to 
* ' the confederates. ' ' 

2. febusite Period. Joshua found the city in the hands 
of the Jebusites, and known from them as Jebus. It was 
taken but not held by Israel, and for three hundred years 
it remained a hostile fortress. 

3. Royal Period, David, after reigning seven and one- 
half years in Hebron, assaulted and took Jebus (2 Sam. 5) 
and built the city of David on Zion. Under David and 
Solomon the city grew splendid with palaces, forts, gar- 
dens, and, most of all, the temple on Moriah. Under the 
kings of Judah, the vicissitudes of what had become the 



112 LESSONS FROM THE DESK 

holy city were too many to review here. Besieged, taken, 
stripped of its wealth, restored many times, it at last fell to 
the Chaldeans, j8y B, C, who destroyed city, temple, and 
walls, leaving a mass of ruins. 

4. Restoration Period, (a) Persian. By decree of Cy- 
f^uSy jjd B. C, the city and temple were slowly rebuilt. 
A century later Nehemiah restored the walls of the city. 
(U) Greek. The city submitted to Alexander the Great, 
JJ2 B. C, then to Ptolemy Soter, of Egypt, finally to An- 
tiochus EpiphaneSy of Syria. Under the latter, oppression 
was so grievous that a successful revolt was organized, {c) 
Maccabean. fudas Maccabeus, 166 B. C. , headed the pa- 
triotic party and gained independence for the Jews for one 
hundred years, (d) Roman. Pompey took the city in 6j 
B. C. Herod restored the half-ruined temple with great 
magnificence and beautified the city. But Jerusalem cru- 
cified her own King and judgment was pronounced (Luke 
19 : 41-44). 

5. Heathen Period. In A. D. yo, Titus destroyed the 
city and burnt the temple. The remnant of Jews were so 
seditious that Hadrian, A. D. ijo, completely obliterated 
the city and built a Roman colony named Aelia Capitolina 
on its site. All Jews were banished. 

6. Christian Period, When the empire became Chris- 
tian, Constantine, A. D. J26, built the church of the 
Holy Sepulchre, and the city became the goal of pilgrim- 
ages. 

7. Moslem Period. In dj/ the Moslems came and took 
the city. During the Middle Ages the crusaders fought, 
took, and lost it. The dead hand of the Ottoman still 
reigns in El Kuds, and Jews and Christians are allowed 
only on sufferance. Sites sacred to the Jew are revered by 
the Moslem. The children of the bondwoman have el- 
bowed Isaac from the homestead and guard it jealously. 



THE LANDS OF THE BIBLE 



1^3 



LESSON v.— JERUSALEM'S HOLY PLACES 




Jerusalem is the holy place of three religions, Jewish, 
Moha7nmedan, and Christian^ to each of which a * * quarter ' ' 
of the city is assigned, the Arinenian Christians also hav- 
ing their own district. To these every spot in the city is 
sacred. We can only glance at a few principal features. 

I. Places of General Interest, i. The walls, re- 
built by Suite jnan, 1536, with their eight historic gates : 
on the west, Yaffa Gate ; north, Bab Abdul Hajnid, Da- 
mascus, and Herod's Gates; east. Saint Stephen's and 
Golden (closed) Gates ; south, the Moghrebin s, or the 
Dung Gate, and Zion Gate. 2. The crowded streets and 

H 



1 14 LESSONS FROM THE DESK 

bazaars, 3. The massive citadel^ now a Turkish bar- 
racks. 4. The pools which once supplied the city with 
water — Upper and Lower Gihon, Hezekiah, Bethesda, Si- 
loam. 5. The new city outside the walls. 6. The tombs 
of the Kings, 7. Traditional tomb of David, 

II. Temple Area. On Mount Moriah there have stood 
successively : AraunaJH s threshing-floor (i Chron. 21 : 
14-30; 2 Chron. 3:1); Solomon's temple; ZerubbabeV s 
temple ,' Herod s temple ; Hadriaft' s temple to ftipiter ; 
the mosque of Omar ; the Crusaders' temple ; Haram esh 
Sherif as the present structure is called {Haram — sacred 
enclosure). It is held exclusively by the Moslems, who un- 
til recently excluded all Jews and Christians on pain of 
death. Now we obtain from the Turkish governor, 
through our consul, a permit to enter, accompanied by a 
Turkish soldier and our consul' s kawass (guard), {a) The 
great platforin, thirty-six acres (one-sixth of the area em- 
braced within the city walls), covers the summit of Moriah 
and is supported by massive walls of great stones and by 
heavy arches in the (U) sub structure (erroneously called 
"the stables of Solomon") which we may visit. In the 
center is a {c) raised platform entered by broad stairs and 
elegant arcades. (^) In its center rises the magnificent 
do7ne of the Rocky Kubbet es-Sakhra (often incorrectly 
called the mosque of Omar). It is an octagonal structure 
surmounted by a graceful dome. It is richly ornamented 
and encrusted with tile work. The decorations within are 
most magnificent. The crusaders, under the impression 
that it was Solomon' s Temple, reverenced and adorned it. It 
covers {e) the Sacred Rocky possibly the site of the Hebrew 
altar, but is the subject of countless fanciful legends. Out- 
side we observe (/) the dome of the Chain, a pavilion, said 
once to have contained a chain which detected liars, and also 
many small pavilions {mastabas — prayer places). Descend- 



THE LANDS OF THE BIBLE I IS 

ing to the lower level we visit the (^) mosqtie el Aksa, orig- 
inally a Christian church. It includes the mosque of 
Omar and is regarded with great reverence by Mohamme- 
dans. Below the eastern wall of the Haram we find the 
(Ji) Golden Gate, a massive and ornate gateway, walled up 
since the days of Saladin, because of a tradition that those 
would pass through it who should destroy the Moslem rule. 

III. The Wailing Place of the Jews lies outside the 
temple enclosure, in the Tyropoeon Valley, in a miserable 
slum of the city. Here the Jews come to weep upon the 
great stones of the temple wall. The grief is genuine and 
pitiful to witness. 

IV. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre. In 326 
the empress-mother, Helena, made a pilgrimage to Jeru- 
salem, and was believed to have discovered miraculously 
the sepulchre and true cross. Constantine here built a 
cluster of churches which, destroyed and rebuilt in subse- 
quent wars, have grown to this great building within which 
is shown everything that pilgrims have desired to see, from 
Calvary and the sepulchre to Adam' s tomb and the center 
of the earth. It is located in the heart of the city, though 
there is a possibility that it may at one time have been out- 
side the wall. There is no reason for locating Calvary 
here, yet it has for ages received the faith of the Latin, 
Greek, and Armenian churches. 

V. The Via Dolorosa (way of Agony) leads hither 
from the tower of Antonia. Pilgrims traverse it reverently, 
pausing to pray at the fourteen ''stations of the cross." It 
is probably not of earlier date than the sixteenth century. 

VI. Calvary. Probability points to the rocky hill by 
Jeremiah's grotto, north of the city, beyond Damascus 
gate. I. Appeara7ice, somewhat skull-shaped. 2. Pro77t- 
inence, places of execution are chosen for publicity. This 
can be seen from half the city. 3. Location. It is a place 



ii6 



LESSONS FROM THE DESK 



of defilement — outside the gate of the Gentiles, in a neigh- 
borhood devoted to tombs, close by the valley of Ashes. 
It was likely to be the place for executions. 

VII. The Mount of Olives is dear to every Christian 
heart. The location of the hill itself is beyond dispute ; 
all else is conjecture. Titus denuded the mountain of tim- 
ber, and all landmarks have been lost. A traditional Geth- 
semane is shown. The mountain is covered with shrines. 

LESSON VI.— THE HILL COUNTRY OF JUDEA 



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From Jerusalem run three fine macadamized carriage 
roads, westward to Joppa, eastward \.q Jericho and Jordan ^ 



THE LANDS OF THE BIBLE 11/ 

southward to Bethlehem and Hebron, These roads are re- 
cently built for the convenience of tourists. There are few 
roads in Palestine, the most of the land having only trails 
or footpaths. 

Taking the one toward the south, we leave the Yafa 
Gate, cross the vale of Hinnom, ascend the hill of Evil 
Counsel, traverse the plain El Bekaa {^Rephaiin — 2 Sam. 
5 : 18-25). After about six miles over a fine hill country, 
we approach Bethlehem, the city of David, It contains 
substantial stone houses, very square and white, each with 
its flat roof and dome. Being largely Christian it is cleaner 
than Moslem towns. The people are of the higher type, 
better dressed, especially the women, who have an elabo- 
rate costume peculiar to themselves. The population is 
eight thousand, and the chief industry is carving in mother- 
of-pearl and olive wood. 

Approaching from the north we find the (so-called) to7nb 
of Rachel {G^Ti, 35 : 19), a neat little Moslem wely of the 
usual type, not certainly genuine, but regarded by the peo- 
ple as very sacred. Near the city gate we stop to drink 
from David' s well {2 Sam. 23 : 15). Passing through the 
narrow streets, we reach the square before the great church 
of St, Mary, probably one of the oldest churches in the 
world, ursC built by Coiistcintine, jjo. Its simplicity of 
structure gives us the best idea of the early basilica. Here 
Baldwin was crowned, Christinas, iioi. Different parts 
of the building belong to Latins, Greeks, Armenians, who 
quarrel constantly. In the crypt beneath the altar is the 
traditional cave of the Nativity and other chapels. It is 
impossible to decide whether the ancient tradition is true. 
We are better pleased in passing through the town and 
looking over the lovely plain known as the field of Boas 
(Ruth 2), or the field of the Shepherds (Luke 2). It is a 
broad plain to the east of the town, shut in by hills, dotted 



Il8 LESSONS FROM THE DESK 

with olive groves and wheat fields. Toward the center, in 
an enclosure, a subterranean chapel, the crypt of some 
former church, is shown as marking the traditional spot of 
the appearance of the angels, known as the grotto of the 
Shepherds. 

One hour southward brings us to Solomon' s Pools. The 
castle, a large, square building, garrisoned by Turkish 
soldiers for protection against Bedouin, is seen from the 
road. Behind it lie three stone reservoirs, respectively I2y 
by yg yards, 141 by 8j yards, ig4 by 6g yards. They are 
built by walling off sections of a narrow valley, which drops 
steeply to the east. The construction is very fine. Parts 
of the covered aqueduct to convey the water to Jerusalem 
still remain constructed on the siphon principle, descend- 
ing valleys and climbing hills in its course. It is doubtless 
the work of the great king three thousand years ago. 

About twenty miles south of Bethlehem w^e reach Hebron, 
called by the Arabs El Kh alii (the Friend, /. e., of God) 
because it was the home of Abraham. Beautiful name and 
life-record impressing the world for four thousand years ! 
The patriarch dwelt with his Amorite confederates, Mainre 
and Eshcol (Gen. 14 : 13), whose names still linger. The 
"grove" of Mamre is now represented by one ancient tree, 
'' Abraham' s Oak,'' supposed to be a descendant of those 
beneath which he pitched his tent. (Read Gen. 23.) 

The cave of Machpelah lies in Hebron, before Mamre 
(Gen. 23 : 19). There lie buried Abrahain, Isaac, facob, 
and their wives. Over the cave the Moslems have built a 
great mosque, Haram (most sacred enclosure), and hold 
it as a very holy place. Neither Jew nor Christian may 
enter it save by special firman from the sultan. The peo- 
ple are fanatical and easily offer insult and violence, follow- 
ing travelers with curses and stones. The town is a con- 
trast to Bethlehem, being very dirty and unpleasant. Here 



THE LANDS OF THE BIBLE I IQ 

dwelt the Anakim giants, whom Caleb drove out (Josh. 
14). Here David reigned seven and a half years. We 
admire the great reservoirs, or pools, of solid masonry that 
were built by David three thousand years ago, and where 
he hanged the murderers of Ishbosheth (2 Sam. 4 : 12). 
By the gate, Joab murdered Abner (2 Sam. 3 : 27). 

South from Hebron (where the road stops) the Wady el 
Khalil (valley of the Friend) leads down from the fair coun- 
try of vineyards to the arid steppe of the Negeb, with its 
few Bedouin villages and many dreary ruins. The country 
is difficult to traverse and uninteresting, the Bedouin hos- 
tile, and a special guard is therefore necessary. The jour- 
ney would not repay us. At Beer-sheba, we should find 
only a few wells in the open desert with scattered ruins of 
villages. 

LESSON Vn.— THE LOWER JORDAN VALLEY 

L Leaving Jerusalem by the road to the east from St. 
Stephen' s Gate, we cross the Kidron by a fine stone bridge, 
skirt around the foot of Olivet forty minutes, and find to 
our left, on a spur of the mountain looking east, the 
wretched village El Azariyeh (the town of Lazarus), or 
Bethany, dear to us because dear to Jesus. They show us 
the tomb of Lazarus, the House of Mary and Martha, 
and the castle of Lazarus. (These, like most of the 
** holy places,*' do not antedate the crusaders.) There are 
about forty hovels, all Moslem. But the site is beautiful 
with its olive groves and almonds, and the memories pre- 
cious. 

II. We now descend the Wady el Hod through the bar- 
ren wilderness. The fine roadway (new) seems grotesquely 
out of place amid the wild surroundings of the ' ' way go- 
ing down from Jerusalem to Jericho" (Luke 10 : 30-37). 



120 LESSONS FROM THE DESK 



»Ain es 3a/ton'E//3h F 
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M ^ CP3. 



\ford 



^i -3800 ft t>e/o¥V JElfuS 



From two thousand five hundred feet above sea level to 07ie 
thousand three hundred feet below at the Dead Sea means 
a descent of three thousand eight huiidred feet. To ac- 
complish this, the road zigzags constantly down steep 
rocky faces. After two hours we reach the ' ' kha7i of the 
Good Sa7naritan' ' (in honor of the parable). An hour 
later we get a view to our left down the wild gorge of 
Wady Kelt, where absurd tradition locates Brook Cherith, 
and marks the site of Elijah s feeding by ravens, by the 
picturesque convent of St. George, Two hours more 
bring us into the Jordan valley. 

III. There are at least three Jerichos. Roman Jericho 
{New Testa7nent) lies near the mouth of Wady Kelt. 
Nothing remains. Modern Jericho lies well out in the 
plain, and is a squalid cluster of thatched hovels, inhab- 
ited by the most degraded people of the whole land. It 
has no interest, but plenty of filth. We turn north and 
ride for a half-hour through a jungle of tropic vegetation, 



THE LANDS OF THE BIBLE 121 

the air heavy with sweet scents, till we reach the great 
rounded hill, Tel es Sultan, ancient Jericho, These tels, 
frequent in Palestine, are formed by the rebuilding of a 
town on its old ruins. Often a half dozen cities are found 
one above another. Near-by is the Ain es Sultan, or 
" Elishd s Fountain'' (2 Kings 2 : 19-22), a copious spring 
of clear water, enclosed in a great stone basin, and send- 
ing forth a head of water utilized for some small mills. 
Note Jericho's (i) Wealth, The city of Palm Trees 
(Deut. 34 : 3) was the most luxuriant spot in Palestine ; 
great forests of date palms ; rich gardens of balsam, fra- 
grance carried for miles ; gateway of province ; rich reve- 
nues, large customs ; given by Anthony to Cleopatra, and 
by Augustus to Herod who embellished it with palaces, 
theatres, and castles ; strategic position, backed by heights 
held by her and easily fortified ; copious water supply ; 
command of river five miles in front ; key to the land. 
Yet (2) her Weakness. Never stood a siege ; Josh. 6 : 20 
typical of whole history. She fell to Joshua, Israel, Syria, 
Aristobulus, Pompey, Herod, Vespasian, with scarce a 
blow ; not a heroic deed recorded nor great man born there. 
Due to climate — tropical heat, moisture, enervating. 
Under the Moslems the palms and balsams have disap- 
peared. (3) Memories, A conqueror (Josh. 6), a prophet 
2 Kings 3), a Saviour (Luke 19 : i-io ; Mark 10 : 46-52). 
IV. Lower Jordan Valley. The upper portion, be- 
low Galilee, is fertile ; then we find a tropical jungle, once 
infested by lions ; southward, vegetation grows less and 
barren spots greater till utterly barren. Opposite Jericho 
it is a broad, desolate, undulating plain ; clay soil, mixed 
with salt, gypsum, and bitumen, making the atmosphere 
intensely trying, prickling the skin and burning the eyes. 
Sparsely scattered with thickets of bush and stunted trees, 
which disappear toward the Dead Sea. Three hours' ride 



122 LESSONS FROM THE DESK 

brings us across the fords of Jordan to the borders of 
Moab. 

V. Dead Sea. Lengthy forty -seven miles ; breadth, two 
a7id three-quarters to nine and one-half miles; greatest 
depth y 07ie thousand three hundred and ten feet y \t receives 
daily six million tons of water, evaporation being the only 
outlet. The deposit left (mainly salt, chlorides of magnesium 
and calcium, etc.) is heavy, oily, briny. Fish die. If we 
bathe, we must be careful to keep the water from eyes and 
lips, which will burn for hours. We enjoy the sensation of 
being unable to sink. Rugged cliffs rise, except at the 
northern end, from the water' s edge to great height. To 
the south are masses of rock-salt. About midway on the 
east, high up, lies Machcerus, the grim scene of John Bap- 
tist' s death, and on the west bank, the lovely oasis of £71- 
gedi (Song of Sol. i : 14 ; 2 Chron. 20 : 2). 

LESSON VIII. — MOUNT EPHRAIM (Samaria) 







-N.«^ B^OftAELON 








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Leaving Jerusalem for the north we cross Mount Scopus 
by remains of old Roman road. It is a stony mountain re- 



THE LANDS OF THE BIBLE 123 

gion. Everywhere we can see ruins of crusader churches 
and forts. One to our right marks Gibeah (2 Sam. 21). 
Later we see upon a hill, the village of Er Ram, ancient 
Ra7nah, frontier between Judah and Israel (i Kings 15 : 
17-22). We pass from Judah now, and soon reach the 
poor village, Betin, once Bethel oi Jacob' s vision (Gen. 28 : 
19) and Jeroboam's idolatry (i Kings 12 : 28-33). 

Mount Ephraim differs widely from Mount Judah. i. 
Fertility. Hills are covered with vine, fig, olive, and gar- 
dens. Slopes are gentler, soil is deeper. Valleys are 
broader, affording grainfields. Water is more plenty. 
Easy prosperity was always both the blessing and curse of 
Ephraim (Isa. 28 : 1-4). 

2. Plains. In place of Judah' s tangle of glens, the 
crown of Mount Ephraim falls into gentler depressions, 
more easily retaining both water and soil than Judah' s 
steep wadies down which winter torrents rush carrying 
away the very stones. From Shiloh, in the southeast 
(home of the tabernacle, i Sam. i) a lovely glade leads 
down into the gardens of Lebonah, where the maidens 
danced (Judg. 21 : 19). Just beyond a little ridge the 
broad plain, El Makhna, ''valley of the cornfields,'* 
opens, sweeping away to the north a dozen miles to the foot 
of Ebal, where it melts into a series of vales leading far on 
to the northeast into the Jordan Valley. At Shechefn our 
wandering north is arrested by the still more inviting pros- 
pect westward. The charming vale of Sheche^n opens be- 
tween Mount Ebal and Gerizim, winding northwest clear 
down to Sharon and the sea. A little northwest lies an- 
other, the rich open plain of Samaria, down whose green 
vistas the eye is drawn till it meets the blue waters of the 
Mediterranean. Crossing a ridge to the north, we drop 
into the plain of Dotha^t, which leads us northeast till at 
Jeiiin we wander out into Esdraelon itself. 



124 LESSONS FROM THE DESK 

3. Approaches. Mount Ephraim is not only open with- 
in her borders, but her doors stand wide open to the world. 
On the north, between Mounts Carmel and Gilboa, a 
great funnel-shaped arm of Esdraelon sweeps into the Do- 
than plain, inviting in early days the Midianite (Judg. 6), 
and later the Syrian (2 Kings 5 : 2), to invade the land ; 
nor was there anything to check him till he besieged the 
capital city, Samaria, in the midst of the land. Westward 
no less than five vales open the way, nowhere hard, for 
Philistine or Egyptian from the south by way of Sharon. 
Eastward, a series of openings, especially the Wady 
Fariuy leading down to Jordan Valley, invite incursion 
from beyond Jordan. So the land lay invitingly open, 
with scanty defense. This explains the easy apostasy of 
the northern kingdom, and her fall so long before that of 
her conservative and protected sister. 

4. Places. Mounts Ebal and Geriziniy blessing and 
cursing (Deut. 27 ; Josh. 8). At the foot of Ebal rests the 
little village, El Askar, ancient Sychar, and at the foot of 
Gerizim is Jacob's w^// (John 4). Upon Gerizim (John 4 : 
20) may still be seen the ruined foundations of the Samar- 
itan temple, and there the remnant of the sect still keep 
their Passover sacrifice. The climb will repay us by the 
view. 

In the narrow vale between the mountains, noisy with 
watercourses and lovely with gardens, lies Nablous (Neap- 
olis, the new city), the ancient Shechem. Here the pa- 
triarchs came (Gen. 12 : 6 ; 33 : 18-20). Here Israel raised 
revolt (i Kings 12 : i, 25). But it is not a fortress. A 
weaker spot could not be found. Omri chose the strongest 
site for a capital, and built Samaria on a round hill in the 
midst of a lovely plain (i Kings 16 : 24). Here were some 
notable sieges (i Kings 20 ; 2 Kings 6 : 24). Herod rebuilt 
it and called it Sebaste (corrupted into its present form, 



THE LANDS OF THE BIBLE 



125 



Sebastiyeh). He built a splendid palace, amphitheatre, 
and temple. Many of the columns are standing to-day in 
testimony of its greatness. In pitiable contrast are the 
wretched mud hovels of the villagers, emphasizing the dif- 
ference between the land to-day and two thousand years 
ago. Here we find the ruins of a great crusader church 
built in honor of St. John Baptist, whose murder was 
thought (not unnaturally, but without foundation) to have 
been here. We must not fail to visit Dothan, some ten 
miles to the north, Jiibb Yusuf {Joseph' s pit, Gen. 37 : 17), 
the natives call it. A few ruins are scattered about the old 
tel, A fine stream turns a modern mill behind the great 
cactus hedge (fifteen feet high). It is hard to realize 2 
Kings 6:17. Farther north , on the edge of Esdraelon, we 
find Jenin (ancient Engannim, Josh. 21 : 29), a village of 
some importance, having a mosque and bazaars and adorned 
with a fine garden. 

LESSON IX.— ESDRAELON 




L Importance. The plain of Esdraelon is histori- 
cally one of the most important spots in the old world. 



126 LESSONS FROM THE DESK 

Armies nave marched and fought here in bewildering va- 
riety. Canaanite, Midianite, Israelite, Philistine, Egyp- 
tian, Syrian, Assyrian, Greek, Roman, Arab, Saracen, Cru- 
sader. It is the key not only to this land, but to Egypt 
from the east and Syria from the south. It is a little, tri- 
angular plain, singularly peaceful in appearance. 

II. Boundaries. Southwest, Carmel, the inount of Eli- 
jah (i Kings 1 8) ; east, Gtlboa, the mount of Saul (i 

Chron. lo), and the hill of Moreh, or Little Hermon ; 
northeast, Tabor, the mount of Deborah (Judg. 4) ; north, 
the wall of the hills of Galilee. To this triangle, having 
its corners at Tel el Kasis (traditional site of i Kings 18 : 
40), fenin (ancient Enganni?n), and Tabor, might be added 
on the west the plain of Acre, from which it is divided 
only by a low spur of hills jutting from Galilee, and, more 
truly, on- the east of the valley of Jezreel, the three form- 
ing one general break in the mountain range. 

III. Approaches, i. From the east the valley of fez- 
reel leads up easily from the fords of Jordan. This way 
came the Midianites (Judg. 6 : 33) and Arabs from the des- 
ert, and the Syrians from Damascus. 2. From the west 
the little bed of the Kishon opens from the plain of Acre. 
By this way Sisera led the Canaanites (Judg. 4), and was 
made helpless by a sudden rise of the stream. 3. From 
the south an easy pass lies between Carmel and the Sama- 
rian hills at Megiddo (2 Chron. 35 : 22), allowing Philis- 
tines or Egyptians to enter from Sharon. Indeed, the high 
road between Egypt and Syria was by this pass and Jezreel. 
To hold this pass the Romans established a camp at Me- 
giddo, calling it ^^ Legion,'' corrupted now into Lejjun, the 
present name. 4. The plain of Dothan, at Jenin, leading 
up into Samaria, was less an entrance to the plain than 

fro7n it. 5- A narrow defile leads up into Galilee beside 
Tabor. This way Sisera fled. 



THE LANDS OF THE BIBLE 12/ 

IV. Places. Jezreel (modern Zeriii) occupies a beauti- 
ful as well as commanding position on a spur of Gilboa, 
two hundred feet above the plain. From this point the 
whole plain is spread out from Jenin to Tabor, from Tel el 
Kasis, twenty miles west to Beisan, ancient Bethsheaii, the 
important stronghold at the mouth of the valley of Jezreel 
on the edge of the Ghor, eighteen miles east. Jezreel was 
well located for the summer capital of the kings of Israel. 
Here Ahab had his ivory palace, in striking contrast to the 
wretched group of mud hovels and broken watchtower 
which form the present town. We can see the route by 
which Elijah came running before Ahab's chariot from Car- 
mel (i Kings i8 : 46), and that by which Jehu came driv- 
ing furiously up the valley of Jezreel to complete the trag- 
edy of Naboth' s vineyard (2 Kings 9). Just below Gilboa, 
in the valley of Jezreel, is the well of Harod {Ain Jalud') 
where Gideon tested his army (Judg. 7 : 1-7). Out of a 
great rock cavern the water flows into a considerable pond 
suited admirably to the purpose. Yonder at the foot of the 
Hill Moreh nests the village of Sulein or Shunem (2 Kings 
4:8; Song of Sol. 6 : 13) of tender memories. It is now 
an ill-smelling mud village, but has a charming garden 
and lemon grove, musical with the ripple of waters. Just 
on the other side of the hill lies Nain, where Christ called 
the widow' s son to life. A neat modern Latin church has 
been built in the village to commemorate the victory over 
death, greater far than any of the victories of the plain. 
Just out in the plain opposite Jezreel we see the huts of El 
Fuleh. There stood once the crusader castle of Faba, 
and there one thousand five hundred men of Napoleon's 
army, under Kleber, routed twenty-five thousand Syrians 
in 1799. Crossing the whole plain by the side of the 
brook Kishon, hidden in its muddy ditch, we reach the 
coast and visit Haifa, the seaport town. Here the Lloyd 



128 



LESSONS FROM THE DESK 



Steamers call when the weather permits, and here come 
many pilgrims to visit the holy sites on Carmel. Just 
across the bay lies Acre, the Ace ho of Judg. 1:31, which 
Asher could not conquer, the Ptoletnais of Acts 21:7. It 
was the stronghold of the crusaders, and about its walls 
the tide of battle has flowed many times. Napoleon failed 
to take it. There is still a population of ten thousand, and 
a market of considerable value. 

LESSON X.— GALILEE 



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I. Conditions. The peculiar history of "Galilee of the 
Gentiles*' and its fitness for so important a share of our 



THE LANDS OF THE BIBLE 1 29 

Lord's ministry, depends on i. Character of the people. 
The free life of the hills begets independence of thought 
and act. The crisp breezes from snowy Lebanon and Her- 
mon develop hardy manhood. There is here no grim wil- 
derness to overawe the spirit as in Judea. 2. Isolation 
from the national center. We have seen what barriers 
both Samaria and Esdraelon might and did become be- 
tween the people of Galilee and Jerusalem, so that it was 
easy to drop out of touch with the heart of the nation. 3. 
Neighborhood — Phoenicia on the one hand, Syrian Damas- 
cus on the other, both closer than the Hebrew capital and 
having more in common with the Galileans. 4. Inter- 
course with the Gentile world was constant. The great 
.highways were either past her doors or through her home. 
The great "sea route" from the East (Isa. 9:1) ran from 
Damascus through Galilee into Esdraelon. This became 
the great Roman military road. In Christ' s time the Sea 
of Galilee was a beehive of Gentile life, Roman camps, and 
Greek culture. He could not preach the *' gospel of the 
kingdom ' ' in Judea as he did in Galilee. The crowds and 
camps and commerce are now all gone, and Galilee is very 
quiet and very lovely. 

II. Hill Country. Ascending from Esdraelon we find 
Nazareth nestled in a little basin just behind the edge of 
the cliff. Here Jesus spent thirty years. They wall show 
a few "holy places" — the workshop, the home of Mary, 
place of annunciation, etc. The "holy house" in which 
the virgin lived is claimed to have been carried by angels 
to Loreto, Italy, where it now stands (!) and is reverenced 
by the Roman Catholic Church as genuine. But these fol- 
lies do not intrude as they did at Jerusalem. Just over the 
hills, an hour' s ride, we come upon Kefr Kennay the tradi- 
tional Cana of Galilee. We pass the spring at which the 
water jars may have been filled. In the town is a little 

I 



130 LESSONS FROM THE DESK 

church where an old stone jar is preserved. This could 
not make the memories of Cana more vivid than they are. 
Across another ridge of hills we climb the Kam Hattin^ 
the traditional scene of the Sermon on the Mount. The 
summit gives us a fine view. On the slopes below, Saladin 
routed the crusaders with sword and fire. Farther north on 
a commanding height is Safed, the crusader stronghold, 
now the largest town of Galilee (population twenty-five 
thousand). Kedes, overlooking the Huleh Valley, repre- 
sents the Kedesh Naphtali of earlier times, one of the cities 
of refuge. 

III. Sea of Galilee, Sea of Tiberias, Lake of Gennes- 
aret, is a lovely little blue lake, thirteen miles long by eight 
at its broadest, nestled six hundred and eighty feet be- 
low sea level, and walled in by purple cliffs, three hundred 
feet high from the water's edge. Here we feel nearer 
Christ than elsewhere, for here he lived and worked. Ti- 
beriaSy on the west shore, is the only city remaining of the 
nine which once encircled the lake with a teeming popula- 
tion. At the northwest the cliffs are parted by the green 

Valley of Gennesaret, with the wretched hamlet Mejdel at 
the southern edge, to recall the Magdala whence Mary 
came. At the north edge, below the cliff, breaks forth the 
Ain et Tin, Fountain of the Fig Tree, near the ruined Kha7i 
Minyeh, once a hostelry on the great caravan route which 
passes here from Damascus. Some have located Cape7'- 
naum here. Others suppose it to have been at Tel Hum, 
at the north end of the lake, w^here extensive ruins are 
found. The ruins are now largely obliterated and a poor 
little convent is built on the site. Chorazin may lie on the 
hill farther back. Bethsaida, we know, lay at the influx 
of Jordan. But Jesus' words (Matt. 1 1 : 20-24) are ful- 
filled. The sites of these cities are unknown. 

IV. Headwaters of Jordan. A steep mountain wall 



THE LANDS OF THE BIBLE I3I 

separates the basin of the Sea of Galilee from the upper 
lake, Hiileh, or the waters of Merojn, a little lake at the 
foot of a marshy valley. Here are numerous springs con- 
tributing to the Jordan stream. But it is principally fed 
from four streams coming from the foot of Hermon — Der- 
dara ; Hasbany, pouring from the spring at Hasbeiya, 
high up in the mountain ; Leddan, gushing from the Am el 
Kady (Spring of the Judge) hard by the Tel el Kady, or 
hill of Dan {LaisJi), the northern border of the land ; and 
the Banias, which breaks from the great rock at Ccesarea- 
Philippi (Banias, corrupted from ' ' Panias, ' ' because Pan 
was there worshiped as the God of the fountain). These 
fine streams are fed directly from the melting snows of the 
mountain above. 

We have now traveled the length of the land from Beer- 
sheba to Dan. 



THE PEOPLE OF THE BIBLE 



THE SONS OF SHEM 

INTRODUCTION 

To the mind of the average scholar in the Bible school, 
Chaldean, Babylonian, Assyrian, Syrian, Phoenician, and 
the like, are names having a well-known sound, but convey- 
ing little idea. Even those who can locate them in a gen- 
eral way upon the map have no conception as to who these 
peoples were, whence they came, or what their relation may 
have been one to another. 

It is the purpose of this course to outline supplemental 
lessons which may be taught from the desk by superin- 
tendents, or in normal class, to present the most prominent 
features of Semitic history so simply as to fasten them on 
the comprehension and memory of the scholars. We will 
begin with the land itself, trace the migrations of the early 
Semites, the forrnation of the Semitic nations, and the rise 
and fall of their great empires sufficiently to throw light on 
the biblical account. 

The map, constructed on the first day, should remain on 
the blackboard, growing throughout the course. 

Book Help : "History, Prophecy, and the Monuments," 
J. F. McCurdy (2 vols. Macmillan). 



LESSON I. —PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY 

L Size. The territory covered by the geography of the 
Old Testament is about one-half the area of the United 
States. 

n. Water Boundaries. West, Mediterranean Sea ; 
southwest, Red Sea; southeast, Persian Gulf; northeast, 
Caspian Sea. 

in. Rivers. The Euphrates, known in Scriptures as 
' ' The Great River ' ' ; the Tigris, the Jordan, the Nile, 

IV. Mountains. On the east are the mountains of Me- 
dia ; on the north, the mountains of Ararat ; on the north- 
west, Mt. Taurus ; and at the west, running down the Med- 
iterranean coast, the inountai7is of Lebanon, in which we 
may include the mountains of Palestine, later known as 
Hermon, Ephraim, and Judah, the range terminating in the 
fork of the Red Sea at Mt. Sinai. 

V. Desert. The center of the map, between the Eu- 
phrates and Jordan, is desert. This formed to the early 
peoples a difficult, if not impassable, barrier. Migrations, 
as "westward the course of empire takes its way," had to 
follow the east side of the Euphrates northwest, crossing its 
upper waters about as far north as the head of the Mediter- 
ranean coast line, descending southward along the eastern 
side of the Lebanons, crossing the Upper Jordan and fol- 
lowing the coast line toward the Nile. This was the ancient 
caravan route for migration, commerce, and war, and marks 
the strategic importance of Palestine. 

Drill. Size, one-half U. S. Four water boundaries, 
M. S., R. S., P. G., C. S. Four rivers, E. (G.), T., J., N. 
Five mountains, M., A., T., L., S. Desert : Route, up the 

135 



136 LESSONS FROM THE DESK 

east side of R. E., down M. L., across the R. J., follow- 




ing the coast line of the M. S. toward R. N. 



THE PEOPLE OF THE BIBLE 1 3/ 

LESSON II.— OTHER PEOPLES 

L Neighbors. Having fixed the physical features of 
our map, we now name the alien peoples occupying the 
border-lands, who constantly affected the history of the 
people whose rise and fall we are to study. Immediately 
on the east was Elam, a powerful nation that for thousands 
of years meddled largely in the affairs of her neighbors. 
North of Elam, in the hill country, the Kasshites dwelt. 
Their country is known as Kasse, and is not always clearly 
distinguished from Elam. Media, northeast of Elam, and 
Persia, southeast, did not rise to importance in our story till 
late, but then became powerful conquerors in the land. 

At the southwest, Egypt played an important part through- 
out the whole history. We cannot even guess her remote 
antiquity. Her people probably emigrated from Asia in 
prehistoric times. In the earliest known times we find a 
great nation and advanced civilization. She was on the 
west, as Elam was on the east, a constant menace to the 
power that sought to rule the peoples of western Asia. 

At the north was a number of wild tribes, needing con- 
stant attention to keep them subdued and that were never 
permanently conquered. Arabia, stretching far to the south, 
was peopled with tribes of the same general race as those 
with which we have to do, and constantly mingling with the 
affairs in the western portion, though never as a strong po- 
litical factor. 

II. Predecessors. Portions, at least, of the land we are 
to study were occupied in prehistoric times by races not akin 
to those that became its permanent settlers. The only ones 
of importance, however, are the Amorites and the Hittites, 
who seem to have overflowed southward from the region 
known to us as Asia Minor into the fertile district along the 
Mediterranean coast. 



138 LESSONS FROM THE DESK 

III. Sources of Information, (i) The Bible, whose 




information about the whole country is most important, and 



THE PEOPLE OF THE BIBLE 1 39 

is proved to be trustworthy. It is however, by itself, in- 
complete, since it was written only to record God' s dealings 
with his own people. (2) Inscriptions made by the various 
ancient peoples themselves on monuments, temples, and 
clay tablets. These have been buried for thousands of 
years beneath the ruins of ancient cities, but are now being 
dug up by learned men sent from this and other countries 
for the purpose of seeking them. From this source we are 
fast acquiring a complete record made by the ancient kings 
themselves. (3) Herodotus, a Greek writer who lived in the 
fifth century B. c, and traveled as far east as Persia and 
south to Egypt to collect facts for his history. His state- 
ments are not always reliable, but serve to piece out infor- 
mation obtained from original sources. 

Quiz. Four neighbors to the east ? Which the oldest ? 
Which last in power ? Name of western neighbor ? What 
can be said of its antiquity and civilization ? What sort of 
neighbors at the north ? At the south ? Name and locate 
two peoples whom we find already in the land ? What three 
sources of information have we ? 



LESSON III.— SEMITIC SETTLEMENTS 

I. People. The people who inhabited this land as far 
back as we now have any means of knowing, were the de- 
scendants of Noah's son, Shem, and are known as the 
Semitic nations. The descendants of Ham and Japheth 
we will notice only under the general designation of non- 
Semitic neighbors. (See Lessons II. and X.) The district 
whose history we are studying is still, and probably will 
always be, the home of the Semites. 

II. Early Home. The desert of Arabia, west of the 
Persian Gulf. There some of the tribes still wander and 
dwell in tents as of old, known to us as Arabs, How long 



I40 LESSONS FROM THE DESK 

the sons of Shem were content with this primitive ex- 




istence we have no means of knowing. But as the more 



THE PEOPLE OF THE BIBLE I4I 

fertile lands between the rivers invited to permanent settle- 
ments and better living, the tribes began to migrate from 
the desert and to build cities and found empires. Of course 
not even an approximate estimate can be made of the date 
when this movement began. 

III. Earliest Tribes to Settle. The earliest of these 
settlements were made in the district about the junction of 
the Euphrates and Tigris Rivers, generally believed to be 
the site of Eden, by the old Babylonians and Chaldeans, 
Traces of very high civilization are being dug up there now, 
which can certainly be dated as early as 4000 B. c. , and will 
probably be found to be much earlier. Dated tablets of 
Sargon I. (3800 b. c.) attest the greatness of his empire, al- 
ready ancient. Great canals w^ere built, converting the 
marshes into fertile lands. Mighty temples to the gods and 
large cities attest the energy and culture of these early Sem- 
ites. Even at that period their language, arts, writing, and 
religion seem to have been so mature as to imply long an- 
cestry. The capital city of the Chaldeans was Ur, and that 
of the Babylonians was Babel, or Babylon, [Gen. 11 : 1-9, 
read "eastward," marginal reading, for *'from the east," 
ver. 2. The story of the dispersion may be an early refer- 
ence to the separation and migrations of the divisions of the 
Semitic race, which we are now studying.] 

The Assyrians, perhaps under pressure of population, 
pushed farther up the Tigris and built Asshur, which in 
later times was superseded as their capital by Nineveh. 

The three peoples thus named form the first, or earliest, 
group of Semites. 

IV. Mission. The Babylonians and Chaldeans, always 
more or less closely related, gave their chief energies to 
culture, science, art, and letters. This was their national 
mission, and in this they led the Semitic nations. It was 
an Empire of Learning, 



142 LESSONS FROM THE DESK. 

The Assyrians gave themselves to conquest. From them 
came the idea of a universal empire. Theirs was an E^n- 
pire of Government, 

Quiz. Descendants of whom ? Called what ? Where 
their early home ? Which still keep the old home and life ? 
What three peoples form the first group ? Where did they 
settle ? Name and locate their capitals. Early dates. Early 
works. What was the mission of the Babylonians and Chal- 
deans ? Of Assyrians ? 

LESSON IV.— SEMITIC SETTLEMENTS (Continued) 

I. Second Group. A wave of migration, none can guess 
how early, swept up the east of the Euphrates, crossed its 
head waters, and descended to the Lebanons. Here they 
became divided, part moving south to the country west of 
Jordan and becoming farmers and herdsmen in the land of 
Canaan. Others settled on the upper seacoast west of the 
Lebanons, and were known as Phosnicians, These became 
famous mariners. From their strong cities of Sidon and 
Tyre they pushed out into the sea, exploring the whole 
Mediterranean, colonizing Africa and Spain. They passed 
into the ocean and worked mines in England. They even 
circumnavigated Africa and carried their commerce into the 
Red Sea and Persian Gulf. Theirs was an Einpire of 
CoJ7tmerce. We have records of their voyaging as early as 
4000 B, C. 

II. Third Group. The Aramceans, passing northward 
from the old center, settled the rich country of Mesopotamia, 
between the upper Euphrates and Tigris. But both from 
pressure of population and from enterprise, they overflowed 
westward across the Great River and down the already well- 
worn route southward. Whether they built the trading posts 
along the great caravan route or took them from predeces- 



THE PEOPLE OF THE BIBLE I43 

sors we cannot know. Certainly a line of ancient, rich, and 




powerful cities mark their advance — Haran, Carchemish, 



144 LESSONS FROM THE DESK 

Hamathy DarnascitSy each the capital of a province. The 
country thus occupied by this branch of the Aramaeans is 
known as Syria, These people became the carriers of com- 
merce on land, as the Phoenicians were upon the sea. 

These Syrian cities became famous battlefields — the 
Aramaeans disputing for ages the empire of Assyria. Da- 
mascus we are familiar with as the bitter enemy of the king- 
dom of Israel for many years, yet unwittingly it served her 
as a barrier against the Assyrians till both fell under that 
mighty empire. It is still a rich and important city. 

III. Language. While all the Semitic languages are 
related, it. was the Aramaean that dominated and survived. 
This was due to the large commercial dealings of this race 
with all neighbors, her caravans going everywhere and 
making it the language of trade. It was the common lan- 
guage of Palestine in the time of Christ, after Hebrew had 
ceased to be spoken, and lasted till the Moslem invasion 
(seventh century, A. d.) made Arabic the language of the 
land. Thus the Aramaeans made an Empire of Language. 

Quiz. What two nations form the second group of Sem- 
ites ? Locate them. Trace line of travel. What was the 
occupation of the Canaanites ? Of the Phoenicians ? How 
far did these travel ? They founded an empire of what ? 
Two cities of Phoenicia. Race name of third group. Its 
two divisions. Locate them. Four cities. For what noted ? 
What was their attitude toward Assyrian Empire ? What 
was the character of the Aramaean Empire ? 

LESSON v.— SEMITIC SETTLEMENTS (Continued) 

I. Fourth Group. The Hebrews became a separate 
people within historic times, about 2joo B. C, when the 
Semitic nations were already thousands of years old. Terah, 
an Aramaean, dwelling in Ur of Chaldea, followed his peo- 



THE PEOPLE OF THE BIBLE I45 

pie northward and settled in the Aramaean capital of Meso- 




potamia, Haran, 



Thence his son Abram, a powerful 
K 



146 LESSONS FROM THE DESK 

sheikh, wiin many servants, flocks, and herds, migrated 
under divine command westward along the usual route, and 
dwelt in tents in the land of Canaa7i as a stranger. Before 
the main stock became a nation, or obtained possession of 
any land, three branches had become local kingdoms. 
Edo7n, to the south of Canaan, was descended from Isaac's 
eldest son, Esau. Moab and A^nmon, to the east of Jor- 
dan, were descended from Abraham's nephew. Lot. The 
patriarchs, heirs of Abraham, remained encamped at He- 
bron, in Southern Canaan, until driven by famine into 
Egypt. There they obtained favor, but later fell into 
bondage. Under divine guidance they were delivered and 
conquered Canaan for their own inheritance. 

The separation of this people from the old Aramaean 
stock forms a good illustration of the manner in which that 
single Semitic tribe as it grew became divided into the 
several widely differing nations whose history we are tracing. 

II. Character. The Hebrews were originally shep- 
herds, and only after many centuries became successful as 
farmers. They never excelled in arts, most of the skilled 
workmen needed for their great buildings being imported. 
They were not successful as warriors, being usually defeated 
unless divinely and miraculously aided. There was not 
sufficient cohesion among the twelve tribes into which they 
were divided to make a strong national government. Under 
a great leader they would have a season of patriotism, but 
would fall apart at his death, or on the smallest provoca- 
tion. The Jews to-day remain a peculiar people, though 
scattered over all the earth without home or government. 
They are never absorbed by other nations, but dwell among 
them as Abraham dwelt among the Canaanites. 

III. Mission. Their mission was religious. It began 
by revelation made to Abraham and handed down from 
him. The divine law was given them on their exodus 



THE PEOPLE OF THE BIBLE I47 

from Egypt under Moses. Jehovah was their king, though 
men ruled in his name, and the national hope lay in his 
personal coming among them to reign in righteousness. 
For custodians of the true religion, their mountain home 
and their modest nationality were well suited. Theirs was 
an Empire of Religion, not to extend during those early 
days, but to enlighten the nations for all time. 

Quiz. Race name ? Whence came ? Under whom ? 
When ? Where settled ? What three branch nations ? 
Where were the Hebrews in bondage ? What was their 
final relation to the Canaanites ? What was their occupa- 
tion ? General character ? Mission ? 

LESSON VI.— THE HEBREW KINGDOMS 

I. The Theocracy, or Reign of God. In Egypt the 
descendants of the Hebrew patriarchs grew into twelve 
tribes. After long bondage these tribes were divinely de- 
livered and led into the wilderness of Sinai, where they re- 
ceived directly from God both religious and civil law, and 
were compacted into a nation. It was the intention that 
God himself should be their king and his presence distin- 
guish them from all peoples of the earth (Exod. 33 : 16). 
The divine presence rendered them invincible in battle and 
assured them of a miraculous career and vast empire. But 
the people divorced themselves from their Divine King by 
constant sin, and finally clamored for a king like other na- 
tions. The theocracy continued, however, to be the hope 
of the nation. 

II. The Empire. By David's wars and Solomon's 
statesmanship, about 1000 b. c, a Hebrew empire was 
extended from the Mediterranean to the Euphrates. Un- 
der less able leaders it at once went to pieces. Two petty 
kingdoms were formed in the district west of Jordan : Judah^ 



148 LESSONS FROM THE DESK 

at the south, with Jerusalem as its capital, and Israel, at 







r< 







the north, with Sa^naria as its capital. Syria and other 



THE PEOPLE OF THE BIBLE I49 

dependent nations revolted and became oppressors of their 
former masters. 

III. Israel. Relapsing into idolatry, the northern king- 
dom relinquished all title to the theocracy and the pro- 
tection of the Divine King. After about two hundred and 
fifty years' struggle for existence, Israel was completely 
wiped out (721 B. c.) by the Assyrians, who by that time 
had achieved the supremacy over all western Asia, under 
Sargoji II. A large portion of the population was deported, 
and the land was re-colonized by heathen imported from 
other parts of the Assyrian Empire. 

IV. JuDAH. The Southern kingdom vibrated between 
periods of idolatry and of loyalty to Jehovah. About three 
hundred and seventy -five years of independent nationality 
ended in the destruction of Jerusalem and deportation of 
the people (587 b. c.) by the Chaldeans, who had succeeded 
the Assyrians in supremacy, under Nebuchadnezzar. After 
a captivity of seventy years the Hebrews were allowed to 
return. Jerusalem was rebuilt and the national life con- 
tinued, always, however, as subject to the ruling nation. 
They were ruled successively by the Persians, Greeks, and 
Romans. In A. D. 70 the Romans punished their turbulence 
hy \kit, destruction of Jerusalem and shortly afterward ban- 
ished the Jews from the country. Since then they have 
been a homeless nation. They remained in Judea long 
enough for their expected king to come, and, though they 
rejected him, he began the Universal E7npire of Religion, 
which has been advancing ever since throughout the world. 

Drill, i. Theoc. actual, rejected, hoped. 

2. Emp., D. and S., fr. M. S. to E. R., 1000 B. c. ; 2 
kgdms. W. of J. R. 

3. Isr., cap., Sam. ; 250 yrs. ; conq. by Assyr. under Sar. 
721 B. c. 

4. Jud., cap., Jer. ; 375 yrs. ; destr. of Jer. 587 b. c. by 



150 LESSONS FROM THE DESK 

Chald. under Neb. ; 70 yrs. capt. ; Jer. rebuilt ; Pers., Gk., 
Rom. rule ; A. d. 70, Jer. destr. ; Univ. Emp. of Relig. 

LESSON VII.— EARLY BABYLONIANS 

We now go back to the beginning of history to trace the 
rise of the great empires that so vitally affected the history 
of the Hebrews. We shall find that from the first the na- 
tions of the far East were seeking dominion over the lands 
by the Mediterranean. The first of these of which we have 
any knowledge are the early Babylonians, 

I. Independence. We have already learned that the 
most ancient settlements of the Semitic peoples lay in the 
fertile region between the rivers, just north of their conflu- 
ence. Our earliest view of these peoples reveals a number 
of rich and strong cities with their dependencies, each inde- 
pendent and ruled by its own dynasties. Chief of these was 
that known in Scripture as Babel (Babylon). Mighty tem- 
ples were erected to the gods, the remains of which are now 
being uncovered. The greatest ruler of this period of whom 
we have any knowledge was Sargon L, nearly 4000 B. c, 
whose conquests, as far west as the Mediterranean, give us 
a glimpse into the vast extent, as well as the advanced civil- 
ization and culture, of this ancient seat of empire even at 
that early time. Already we find the cities beginning to 
combine for government under the leadership of the stronger. 
They seem also to have had occasion to combine against 
aggressive interference from their eastern neighbors. 

II. Elamite Interference. About 2300 b. c. we find 
Elamites from the east of the Tigris holding supremacy over 
Babylonia. In 2250 B. c, Chedorlaomer, king of Elam, led 
a great expedition of subject States against the westland, 
where, after ravaging the cities of the Jordan Valley, he was 
pursued as far as Damascus by Abraham and defeated 



THE PEOPLE OF THE BIBLE I Si 

(Gen. 14). The Elamite supremacy in Babylonia shortly 




V mt 



VO|N30Md > 




after came to an abrupt end, because- 



152 LESSONS FROM THE DESK 

III. Consolidation of the Babylonian powers was 
effected under the great Chammurabi, king of Babylon. 
This consolidated Babylonian rule was able to throw off the 
Elamite yoke and maintain a strong empire for five hundred 
years (2240-1730 B. c). 

IV. Kasshite Domination. For a period of more than 
five hundred years following, 1 730-1 153 b. c, we find the 
affairs of Babylonia dominated by a dynasty from the non- 
Semitic mountaineers east of the Tigris. These Kasshites 
were akin to, if not part of, the Elamites. They seem to 
have gradually crept into Babylonia rather than to have come 
by sudden conquest. They reigned, not from Kasse, but 
from Babylon, whose supremacy was broken throughout all 
the westland and taken by the Egyptians, who were always 
watching a chance to gain power in Asia. 

Quiz. Location of earliest empire ? Relation of cities ? 
What was the chief city ? Name greatest Babylonian king ? 
His date ? Extent of his empire ? Date of Elamite invasion ? 
Name Elamite king who pushed his conquest into the west- 
land ? By whom defeated ? What movement among the 
Babylonians freed them from the Elamites ? For how long ? 
Who ruled in Babylon for the next five hundred years ? 

LESSON VIII.— THE ASSYRIAN EMPIRE 

I. Period of Obscurity. From the unknown early 
days a Semitic people had migrated from the Babylonian 
region and settled on the upper Tigris, There they built 
the city of Asshur to their god of that name, whence they 
came to be known as Assyrians. Later, Niiteveh was built 
on their northern borders and became the great capital. 
Their early relations with the Babylonians were friendly, but 
under the Kasshite rule in that State they withdrew their 
intercourse. 



THE PEOPLE OF THE BIBLE 1 53 

II. Period of Ambition. About the sixteenth century 




B. c. they began to contest with the Kasshite rulers of Baby- 



154 LESSONS FROM THE DESK 

Ionia as to boundaries and then to meddle with internal affairs. 
From that time they woke to an ambition to rival Babylonia 
in the supremacy of east and west. A struggle began which 
lasted for 07te thousand years, 

III. Period of Conquest. With Tiglath-pileser L 
(iioo B. c), began a period of conquest. That mighty 
warrior and hunter subdued the wild tribes of the north, 
swept over Syria and Phoenicia, and sailed upon the sea in 
token of triumph over the west a century before the days of 
Solomon. For three hujidred and fifty years the Assyrian 
kings were busy ranging their armies over the whole terri- 
tory from Elam and Babylonia to Canaan and Egypt. If 
one part was subdued another would be in revolt. Elam 
in the east and Egypt in the west kept fomenting rebellion 
against the hated Assyrian. The Arabs on the south and 
the wild tribes on the north kept trouble brewing. During 
this period Babylonia never lost her ambition, and Syria 
never lost her power to recuperate and head revolt. During 
this period Assyria' s menace to Syria and Palestine is the 
key to military and political movements in the Old Testa- 
ment story of Israel. 

IV. Period of Empire. It was Tiglaih-pileser III. 
(754 B. c), who taught Assyria how to hold as w^ell as con- 
quer, and so inaugurated the idea of imperial government. 
He inaugurated a system of deportation of turbulent sub- 
jects to remote parts of the empire. The places of these 
were filled by similarly disciplined subjects from elsewhere. 
In this way he aimed a blow at the nationalism and religion 
of conquered States. This was the plan enforced by Sar- 
gon II. in the case of Israel (721 b. c). For ofie hundred 
and fifty years the iron hand of the Assyrian Empire held 
and crushed western Asia. 

V. Period of Disaster. The end came suddenly. A 
period of sixty years after the death of the great Esar- 



THE PEOPLE OF THE BIBLE I 55 

haddon covers all the disintegration of the empire. New 
enemies swarmed from the north, new enemies arose in the 
east. Ni7ieveh fell^ and with it the empire, under a deter- 
mined assault by the Medes and the Chaldeans, 607 b. c. 

Quiz. Name five periods in Assyrian history. What 
was her early relation to Babylonia ? When did they be- 
come rivals ? For how long ? Name first great Assyrian 
conqueror. Date. With what were her kings busy for 
three hundred and fifty years t What change was made by 
Tig. III.? Date. For how long did this empire continue? 
When did Nineveh fall ? 

LESSON IX.— THE CHALDEAN EMPIRE 

I. The Chaldeans. From the beginning of Assyria's 
aggression no power had given her more trouble than the 
Chaldeans. These were now dominant in Babylon, so far 
as any local power was allowed under the Assyrian yoke, 
and were earnestly seeking to raise the ancient city to the 
political headship of the Semitic peoples. In the fierce 
struggle for supremacy over western Asia this ancient peo- 
ple never forgot her own rights or rested quietly under the 
yoke of her arrogant oppressor. As surely as the great king 
was engaged with wars in the west a rising would be forced 
in the east by the restless Chaldeans. We remember how 
in the time of Hezekiah (Isa. 39) Merodach-baladan sought 
pretext to communicate with the Jewish king, calling forth 
from Isaiah the prophecy of the final supremacy of Baby- 
lon. This Merodach was the most wily of politicians and 
indefatigable of rebels. The story of his struggle for Chal- 
dean liberty is one of the romances of history. He was 
followed by others of the same metal. At last, most un- 
wisely, the Assyrian "over-lord" in 625 B. c. conceded 
the office of viceroy of Babylon to Nabopalassar, a Chal- 



156 LESSONS FROM THE DESK 

dean, who made the most of his new powers. The Chaldeans 




I^MOENIOX"^ 







were not able alone to resist the rule of Assyria. 



THE PEOPLE OF THE BIBLE 15/ 

IL The IVIedes. For two centuries the attention of the 
Assyrians had been drawn to a vigorous kingdom rising in 
the mountains of Media, They were growing stronger than 
other border tribes and dared dream of the destruction of 
the hated oppressor in Nineveh, but single-handed they 
were unable to make successful war on the great king. 

III. The Alliance. Opportunity seemed to favor a de- 
cisive blow. The Assyrian king was weaker than his 
fathers. The new powers of the Chaldeans roused hope. 
An alliance was formed between Medes and Chaldeans by 
which they should unite against Nineveh and afterward 
divide the territory. 

IV. The Conquest. In 607 b. c. Nineveh was utterly 
destroyed before the allies. Only recently have the mounds 
of her ruins been opened to furnish their historic records. 
The great Assyrian Empire passed into the hands of the 
Chaldeans. 

V. The Empire. The new rulers had so long taken 
lessons of their masters that they knew well how to hold 
what they had taken. Assyria' s policy of complete subju- 
gation and deportation of rebel States was rigorously prac- 
tised by the Chaldeans, as in the case of the JewSy who 
sought with the aid of Egypt to resist the authority of 
Nebuchadnezzar, the Chaldean king, the brilliant son of 
Nabopalassar. The empire of the Chaldeans was brilliant, 
but brief. Within seveiity years (538 B. c.) it had fallen 
to a new power, the Persians. . 

Quiz. What race dominated in Babylon? What 
office was granted Nabopalassar in 625 ? What kingdom 
was rising in the east ? With what ambition ? What alli- 
ance was formed ? Date of the fall of Nineveh. Who 
succeeded the Assyrians in empire ? What policy was 
adopted ? How long did the Chaldean Empire last ? To 
whom and when did it fall ? 



158 LESSONS FROM THE DESK 

LESSON X.— NON-SEMITIC EMPIRES 

Pausing for a glance over the field ere the next shifting 
of the scenes, we are struck with the character and destinies 
of the several Semitic peoples. The Phoenicians through- 
out the story controlling the marts of the world, abstaining 
as far as possible from politics and war, paying tribute 
rather than fight. The Aramaeans, between east and west, 
forced to become the champions of resistance against the 
aggressions of the east. The eastern nations in the valley 
of the great rivers locked in a long death-struggle for the 
supremacy of the whole, the old Babylonians, Assyrians, 
Chaldeans, successively dominant. The story has culmi- 
nated, as it should, with old Babylon at the apex of her 
glory and a king of the ancient Chaldean stock reigning 
from the Tigris to the sea. The sceptre is now about to 
pass forever from Semitic hands. 

I. Persian. In the division of empire after the fall of 
Nineveh the mountain regions to the north (known to us as 
Asia Minor and Armenia) had fallen to the share of the 
Medes, while the whole Semitic region was held by the 
Chaldeans. But almost immediately (550 B. c.) the whole 
Median Empire was absorbed by Cyrus the Persian, who 
hastened to make himself master of all western Asia. 
Babylon fell to him in 538 B. c, and the land which we 
have studied passed forever out of the control of the sons of 
Shem. Cyrus' policy led him to restore religion, rebuild 
ruined temples, and release those whom the Chaldeans had 
made captive. Thus he restored the Hebrews to Judea 
and aided them in rebuilding their temple. This mighty 
empire, reaching from India to Greece, lasted but two hun- 
dred years. 

II. Greek. In 331 b. c. the Persian Empire fell into 
the hands of the Greek, Alexander the Great, who had 



THE PEOPLE OF THE BIBLE 1 59 

already conquered the whole west land (Asia Minor, Syria, 




Phoenicia, and Palestine) and Egypt. Greek culture spread, 



l6o LESSONS FROM THE DESK 

all over Asia. The light of a new civilization from Europe 
began to change the character of the old Semitic Empire. 
No stable empire, however, resulted from Alexander' s con- 
quest. None has ever again united the lands of western 
Asia until the present Turkish rule. Under Alexander's 
successors it was hopelessly dismembered. At that time 
the ancient city of Babel fell into ruin. To-day it is a sight 
of utmost desolation, as the Hebrew prophets had foretold. 
Palestine was ruled by the Ptolemies, the Greek kings of 
Egypt, and later for a few years by Antiochus, the Greek 
ruler of Syria. The Jews revolted successfully, and for 
about a century maintained their independence under the 
Maccabees. This brief return of the Hebrew kingdom was 
cut short by the Romans. 

III. Roman. Rome became master of the western world, 
and in 63 B. c. Jerusalem was taken by the Roman general 
Pompey. The greatest empire the world had yet seen, of 
which Assyria had been the first precursor, ruled the world. 
This brings us to the end of Bible times. 

Quiz. What three successive empires ruled western 
Asia after the Chaldeans ? Were they Semitic ? What be- 
came of Media ? When and by whom was Babylon taken ? 
What policy did he follow ? Who were benefited ? Length 
of Persian Empire. Who conquered the Persians ? What 
became of the empire ? For how long did the Jews gain 
independence ? What power finally held the land at the 
close of Bible times ? 



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